The Man Who Conquered
by Harry50
Summary: Many girls want the hero, but he only loves one. How will they get along? [Harrry/Hermione] Susan,Luna,Daphne
1. Awakening

**1-Awakening**

Harry woke up with a start, not sure where he was. His hand grabbed his wand that he kept under his pillow and he looked wildly around, searching for danger. There didn't seem to be any. All he saw was a large bedroom with red and gold decorations and the rays of the rising sun peeping between the curtains. He could dimly remember being given that room to use for "being a hero." As if he had any choice about it!

Yet he didn't calm completely. Something was still pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe. His eyes darted down, taking into view some dark red hair obscuring the face of what was clearly a young woman, judging by the breasts that were pressed to his abdomen. As the realization hit him, his body started responding to the proximity of the naked girl.

Said girl was also stirring awake. When she moved her head, Harry recognized Susan's face. She smiled at him, making him smile back at her. Her smile was like some cool water on a hot day, making Harry relax, except for a certain part of him that seemed to get really excited.

"Good morning, stud," she whispered at him. "I can see that you're eager to continue with our previous activity." Her smile turned teasing. Harry was sure he knew what kind of activity she had in mind, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember anything about it. He didn't need to. Susan turned around and straddled him, resuming the very pleasurable activity they had probably engaged in before falling asleep.

It was much later when they finally relaxed. Harry's mind started rolling, trying to remember what had happened the previous night, to no avail. He also found out that he couldn't remember any of the preceding nights either. He could dimly remember taking part in innumerable funerals, hearing innumerable eulogies and shaking hands with more people than he cared to count. He remembered coming back and opening a bottle of Firewhisky more than once. That should probably explain his memory loss.

He turned his eyes at Susan. She was quite a sight to behold. Her dark red hair was framing her pale face; her chest was still heaving after the intense activity with some sweat glistening along the twin hills of her breasts, peaked by the somewhat darker nipples; her legs were slightly apart, giving him a glimpse at that enticing tunnel he had enjoyed since waking up, where some whitish drops testified of that activity.

"Why are you here?" he asked her.

"Don't you like my company?" she asked, almost hurt.

"I like it very much, as you could certainly feel. I just wonder. You weren't very close to me before and you never showed this kind of interest in me. What brought this change?"

Her face turned sombre. "I've always liked you, although I knew I had no chance. Now, with the war over, nothing seems to stay the same. You let many girls share your bed, and I finally got the courage to do it as well, hoping you would also impregnate me." She saw his puzzled look and added, "As the last of my house I need to produce an heir, the sooner the better."

"So you say I slept with many girls? Why should I do it, and why don't I remember any of it?"

Susan sighed. "You started drinking as soon as the day's funerals ended. By the time you went to bed, you were totally drunk, yet very horny. It was natural for girls to want to help you. After you shagged them several times, you seemed to calm down and fall asleep. At least it was that way with me."

"But I always woke up alone, until today. Of that I'm sure."

Susan looked at him. Was it love in her eyes? He wasn't sure. "Hermione used to filter the candidates for the night, not allowing more than three to join you, and casting the contraceptive charm on them herself. She also warned each girl to leave soon after you fell asleep, since you may wake up from a nightmare and harm them by mistake. I'm glad I stayed, though."

Harry knew he would have some serious conversation with Hermione, but there were a few more things he wanted to know. "How can I impregnate you if she cast the contraceptive charm on you?"

Susan smiled again. "I told her what I needed you for and she skipped that step, like she did for two others. She will be angry of me staying until morning, though."

"Who are the two others? I don't remember any of the girls and I've not intended to impregnate any."

Susan turned almost teary. "Don't you agree to impregnate me? I really need it to continue my family line, else it will die with me."

Harry relaxed a bit. "I agree, alright. I've enjoyed our union very much and am quite willing to do it many more times, for whatever reason. I would have liked to be made aware of this beforehand, though."

"They tried, really, just as I did, but you were not able to comprehend at the time and they couldn't wait."

"Who are they, then?"

"Luna Lovegood and Daphne Greengrass."

Harry frowned. He considered Luna a friend and would have willingly done this service for her. Daphne was a whole different ballgame, though. She was Slytherin's Ice Queen, and although she had never mistreated him or Hermione... Well, she was a Slytherin. Yet she was beautiful and attractive. It was probably quite nice to shag her, if he could only remember...

He glanced at the clock on the night-stand. It was almost eight in the morning. "I think we should head down for breakfast now," he said, his eyes still admiring her curves.

Susan stretched on the bed, reminding him of a cat. "I didn't get much sleep during the night, although you fell asleep easily. I was too excited about having given up my virginity and of having had sex with you. I think I'd rather get some sleep now."

Harry smiled at her. "You're welcome to stay here for as long as you wish, but I think Hermione will get worried if I don't show up soon."

He caressed her body with his hand while he moved out of bed, feeling a bit regretful of leaving her company. He showered quickly in the private bathroom attached to his bedroom, got dressed and stepped out of his bedroom, noticing Hermione reading in the common room,

"Good morning, Harry. Had a good night?" she asked with a smile.

"Fabulous!" he said, not wanting to go into details. "Don't you like to get some breakfast in the great hall. I'm sure Ron is already there."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, Harry, have you forgotten? Now that the funerals are over and most people left Hogwarts, the house elves will serve breakfast here when asked for. Kreacher has already asked me if I wanted any, but I wanted to wait for you. And as for Ron – he returned home with his family after..."

Harry knew what she refrained from saying – Fred's funeral. The one Harry had found hardest to stand, as if he himself had lost a brother. He tried not to think of that. It was too early in the day to open another bottle of Firewhisky. Instead, he noted, "I thought you would stay with Ron. I didn't expect you to come back here with me."

Hermione sighed. "Harry, whenever I had to choose between you two, I always chose you. Why should it be any different now?"

"I thought... Well, you kissed him before the battle and you stayed close to him since."

"Harry, he kissed me before the battle and I thought that was not a time to admonish him for taking that liberty with me. Then, after the battle, you had plenty of people who wanted nothing better than to stay with you, especially girls. Ron had nobody but me to keep him company."

Harry sat on the sofa at her side and turned to look at her. "About those girls – I want to know some more."

Hermione sighed and took his hand in hers, just the way they were always doing when talking of serious matters. "Harry, after the battle, many girls wanted to comfort you in ways I am not yet ready to. I thought that you deserved to enjoy this kind of comforting, and you didn't seem to mind. Those I let come to you told me that you seemed insatiable. I let three join you one night together, and they were all exhausted after the intense activity you gave them, yet they would gladly join you again if I let them."

Harry blushed at the implied scene. He only wished he remembered it. "Why did you even intervene? I'm sure it was hellishly embarrassing for you."

Hermione blushed. "It was, but I couldn't let them do as they pleased, especially with you so full of alcohol, or you would have died of exhaustion. At least you had a way to release your frustration and satisfy some of your fans."

"Well, whom did I shag?" he asked, quite curious to know.

"I have the full list in my room, if you want it. I can tell you that Ginny was the first, and she was really frightened by your stamina. Most of the girls in our year and a year younger passed through your bed, all four houses."

"Even Slytherins?"

She smiled at his confusion. "They were the first to ask to join you in bed. I had them give an oath to not harm you and leave their wands behind. I'd say you gained some more admirers with them, after they spent some time in bed with you."

"Maybe it's better that I don't remember any of them," he sighed.

Hermione frowned. "You don't remember them? They will be so disappointed!"

"Well, you said I was practically drunk. I only wonder why I didn't wake up with hangovers."

She blushed nicely. "I took care of that. I had you drink a potion to prevent hangovers. Could it also cause loss of memory? I don't remember reading of such a side-effect, but I'll check again."

"I'll go with you to the library, but I think we should have breakfast first."

As if called, Kreacher appeared with two trays. He placed one in front of Harry and the other in front of Hermione and then poured some pumpkin juice for Harry and steaming black coffee for Hermione before vanishing as silently as he had appeared.

"He seems to sense my needs," Harry commented.

"That's what house-elves do best, don't you know?"

"Hearing this from the founder of S.P.E.W. is kind of weird, you know," Harry smirked.

Hermione shrugged. "I had a long conversation with Kreacher and then with a few other house-elves. I now understand that I've done it all wrong."

They went silent while they ate breakfast. Harry looked furtively at Hermione, mentally comparing her to Susan, whose naked image was still fresh in his mind. While Susan was pretty and her red mane was impressive, he considered Hermione prettier and liked her brown curls better. Hermione was definitely slimmer, after the year on the run, and her breasts seemed smaller. He could only imagine their look, since he had never really seen them, but he was sure they would be just as nice to fondle and he would probably be able to cover each with only one hand, while Susan's needed both his hands for that.

"What are you thinking of?" Hermione's voice brought him out of his musings.

His mouth responded even before his mind could. "Thinking of you; wondering how we could fit together."

Both blushed as the meaning of his words reverberated in their minds. Harry was afraid that Hermione might get angry and hex him, yet she only smiled nervously. "Does it really matter?"

"It does for me. None of the other girls matters, but you do, even more than all of them put together." Harry wondered where he got the courage to speak that way to Hermione.

"And you matter to me more than anything else," she said quietly.

Harry took her hand in his, looking straight into her eyes. "Then why did you let other girls have me. I thought you would want me all for yourself."

Hermione's eyes bore back into his. "I told you I was not yet ready and I thought you deserved that fun and comfort. Besides, I wanted our first time to be when we are both sober and in full control, not while our emotions are all over the place due to the war and its victims."

Harry sighed. He knew he should say something, but he had no clue what the right thing to say was. Instead, he changed the subject. "What will you do now, after the funerals are over?"

She moved her head down and sighed too. "I need to look for my parents and restore their memories. Maybe I should check their house first and repair any damage before I go."

"I'll help you and go with you. There's nothing to hold me back here, you know."

She lifted her head and smiled at him. "Thank you, Harry, but I think this is a task I should do by myself. No need to drag you along."

"Hermione, you modified their memories and followed me on what seemed a hopeless search, just to help me. It will be no sacrifice to help you now. I'm actually looking forward to it."

Her smile widened. "In that case, Mr. Potter, I think we should head to the library and see what we can do about your memory before helping others."


	2. Library

**2 Library**

They spent the whole morning in the library. Hermione didn't need his help in her research. Instead, she showed him where all ancestry books were kept and helped him find the Potter and the Black books, as well as the Peverell one before sitting at the other side of the table with some advanced potions and charms books.

Harry was fascinated. Scanning the Potter family tree he saw some connection with other families, some of which he'd heard about before. The first magical Potter on the tree lived more than a thousand years back. A few generations later, his ancestor married the Gryffindor heiress, practically absorbing that line. Another generation later, it was one of Slytherin's descendants that married into the Potter line. She wasn't an heiress, though. Could that be the reason he could talk to snakes?

Harry also noticed that every few generations, the bride was a Muggle or a Muggle-born. Some of the others were also second generation only. This made him understand why the blood purists hated Potter.

He found that his ancestors also absorbed other lines, including the Peverell line, explaining why he had inherited the invisibility cloak. He noticed the Black woman who married his great-grandfather, allowing him to become the Black heir, as Sirius willed.

Browsing through the Peverell and the Black books helped him understand the importance of his family's connections. He also started to get a rough estimate of his fortunes. There was no direct reference to the richness of each family, yet the amounts paid as bride price and the dowries were clearly detailed. The numbers were high enough to suffice for a lifetime of laziness for the couple, yet they were probably only a small fraction of the total value of each family.

He was still immersed in the family history when Hermione's cry of joy brought him back to reality. "What have you found?" he asked.

Hermione turned immediately into her lecture mode. "The hangover potion is supposed to work perfectly for regular alcohol-induced drunkenness. Firewhisky is not merely alcohol, though. Besides the high percentage of alcohol, it contains some magical ingredients to give it more 'punch', as they say. These ingredients make the hangover potion also act as a mild oblivating potion. When I prepared the potion, I wasn't aware of the kind of booze you were drinking, or I would have made a different potion. Now, there's an antidote for that oblivation. It will take me a few hours to prepare, but I have access to all the ingredients, so it should pose no problem."

"Can't you just use a charm?"

Hermione shook her head. "That would not be as effective and may not restore all the memories. It can restore last night's memories, if you want it now."

Harry thought of Susan. It would be nice to remember what they did before falling asleep, he thought, although he could guess quite accurately, he believed. "Can you cast it now? At least Susan would know I remember what we've done."

"Susan? You said you didn't remember any of the girls. How come you remember her?"

Harry cringed internally. He hadn't intended to tell Hermione about Susan staying overnight, yet his big mouth made it impossible. Well, he didn't really like keeping a secret from Hermione. "She stayed overnight and greeted me good-morning. I was embarrassed I couldn't remember what had happened before we slept."

"She should have left as soon as you fell asleep. That was clearly explained to her!"

Harry took her hand in his to calm her down. "It turned out alright. I didn't hex her and didn't harm her. She told me you were afraid of that."

"Still, she should have left earlier. I came to check on you one night, hearing you thrashing in your dream, and barely escaped unharmed. It was too dangerous to let them stay overnight."

He smiled at her reassuringly. "Maybe this 'treatment' helped calm me down. Susan said she enjoyed being with me and she was too excited to fall asleep when I did. She's probably still sleeping in that bed now."

There was a flash of something undecipherable in Hermione's eyes. "I hope she leaves before we return. It would be quite embarrassing if she doesn't," Hermione mumbled.

"Why? Didn't you make sure that the others left on time?"

Hermione blushed. "I did, at first. I even had to wake a few up after they fell asleep, exhausted by your stamina."

"I'm sure Susan will try not to act in any way that could embarrass you if we find her there. She knows you're the one for me." Harnessing all his Gryffindor courage, he added, "You're the one I love."

Hermione's eyes became tearful. "Harry, you should not say it if you don't mean it. That would be cruel."

Harry took both her hands in his. "Hermione, it took me a long time to realize what you mean to me, and I'm still not through with that, but I already know one thing for sure: I want you to be at my side throughout my life, I want to raise our children with you, I want to make you Lady Potter and to show you how important you are to me throughout the rest of my life. I really mean it."

It took Hermione a moment to realize what he meant. She moved closer to him, her eyes tearing some more. "I want to raise our children with you, if you like. I want to be with you for as long as you'll want me, Harry."

A scene he had once seen on television, or maybe just read about, flashed into his memory. He knelt in front of Hermione and said formally, "Miss Granger, will you honour me in accepting to become my wife? I promise to do my best to keep you happy for as long as I live."

Hermione knelt as well. "I accept your offer, Lord Potter, and I'll do my best to never disappoint you and never let you down. I love you, Harry."

Harry moved his head to kiss her. She met him halfway between them, kissing him back with as much enthusiasm as he was putting into the kiss.

It didn't last, though. They parted after only a short while. They didn't need to talk as they both knew this was just a beginning for something much greater, much more wonderful.

They silently collected the books and put them back. As they were leaving the library hand in hand, Harry said, "I now owe you an engagement ring."

"You owe me nothing. We're one now, and I don't mind any ring."

"But I still want you to have a nice engagement ring to show off. I don't know where I'll get the money for it, though."

"You have more than enough in your vaults, I believe."

Harry shrugged. "I can't go to Gringotts and claim it. Not after breaking into a vault, stealing a dragon and causing so much damage."

Hermione smiled. "I thought so too, but we've got that letter a few days ago, stating that the benefits to Gringotts due to ending the war surpass the damages we've caused, so that they will only charge us a token penalty and see this matter closed."

Harry frowned. "I don't remember any such letter."

She cringed. "It's probably one of those suppressed memories. They arrived in the evening. You read yours and left it on the couch. I didn't want it to get lost, so I put it aside, along with my letter. I couldn't refrain from noticing they were practically one and the same."

Harry smiled reassuringly. "You may read any mail I get. I trust you more than I trust myself, you know."

"Oh, Harry! You shouldn't say that! I trust you just the same."

He chuckled. "That's good to know."

They were already back in the "heroes' apartment" now. Kreacher appeared as soon as they stepped into the common room. "Would master and mistress like lunch now?"

Harry looked at Hermione, who smiled at him, before answering, "Yes. Please bring it here in ten minutes, so we have time to wash our hands and refresh first."

Kreacher bowed. "As you wish," he said and disappeared.

"He's been calling me 'mistress' ever since we settled here," Hermione said in a complaint. "I told him I was not his mistress, but he didn't seem to listen."

"Well, maybe he likes you," Harry suggested, "or maybe he knows something we don't."

Hermione sighed and said nothing. She just went to her room to put down her notes and use the loo. Harry watched her go and then turned to his room to use his own bathroom.

As he opened the door he saw that his bed was still occupied. Susan was sprawled on the bed, evidently in deep slumber. He enjoyed looking at her nude form for a moment, and then continued as intended. He made sure to close the door softly as he returned to the common room.

"She's still there?" Hermione asked, more like stating it.

"Yes, sleeping like a lug. Well, she said she didn't get any sleep during the night, being too excited."

Hermione looked pensive during lunch. At Harry's urging, she only said, "Let's leave this to later, after I help you restore your memories."

Harry thought there was something else as well, but he failed to see what.

"I'm going to the potions lab," she said as soon as they finished lunch. "I suggest you read some more about your ancestry and maybe about high-class etiquette as well. It can help you sooner than expected."

"Don't I get to kiss my fiancée first?" he asked in mock annoyance.

"Oh, you do!" she said, attacking his lips in a fierce kiss. It soon turned into a passionate snog and Harry felt an urge to let his hands roam. Hermione stopped the snog before he acted on that urge, though. "We'd better leave something for later," she said breathlessly. There was a hint of a promise in her voice.

He escorted her part of the way, until each took a different route to their destinations. Walking alone, Harry could finally notice how much damage had been inflicted on the castle. He saw teams of house-elves working to restore the castle to its previous state. Professor Flitwick was with one of the teams and greeted Harry cordially. Harry was glad that the fallen wall where Fred had met his demise was already repaired. It would have been too painful a reminder otherwise.

Hermione came to search for him about four hours later. "The potion is ready. We only need to let it cool for another hour. Time enough for dinner, I suppose."

Harry had mixed feelings when he found his room empty. He liked seeing naked Susan there, but thought it was better for his relations with Hermione that the bed was newly made with fresh linen, leaving no sign of the night (and morning) activities.

Kreacher served dinner as soon as they took their seats at the dining table. Harry was a bit worried about the memories he would soon regain. Wouldn't some be too painful to bear? Weren't these the reason for his drinking? Yet he didn't feel like drinking any more. He hoped he would not be too overwhelmed. He wanted to be with Hermione and start, as they both seemed to hope, a lifetime relationship of love and affection.

Hermione was also silent. She was worried about Harry's feelings once he remembered all those girls who visited his bed. Would he still want her at all? She didn't feel very sure even compared to Susan, yet other young women with whom Harry had shared the bed were even more attractive. She felt her confidence plummet. She was still determined to always be by Harry's side, but she wondered what role she would really have.

"I'm going to bring the potion," she said as they finished eating. "You'll need to take one portion now and another in the morning. You should have all your memories back by lunchtime."

She then hurried out of the room, as if afraid he would regret their engagement.

Harry sat and waited. There was nothing else he could do. There was no television there and no radio and surprisingly there were no books either. Whatever Hermione was reading, she was probably keeping it in her room. Not having anything to occupy himself, Harry let his thoughts wander back to their conversation before lunch. Was Hermione really happy that he had proposed? Wasn't she acting that way just to spare his feelings? She was such a good friend, always caring for him more than she cared for herself, that such a deed was not unthinkable for her. How could he know if she really loved him the way he loved her? Was there even a way to compare love with love?

He then thought about the memories that would soon be restored. He wondered how many girls he shagged. Hermione said he even had three in his bed at once! He couldn't understand how he managed to satisfy even one. He had been a virgin until the battle, for Merlin's sake! What if any of them got pregnant? What would Hermione do in that case? Yet Hermione let Susan and a few more shag him with no contraceptive charm. Was she really fine with them getting pregnant?


	3. Memories

**3-Memories**

Luckily, Hermione returned with two vials of potion before his thoughts wandered too far.

"Take one vial now. You should then drink at least five glasses of water before going to bed. This may cause you to wake up during the night for a pee. It's important not to force yourself back to sleep but let your body give up the extra liquid. The more you drink, the faster this potion would work."

"Will you stay with me?"

Hermione smiled nervously. "I'll be close enough, on the other side of the wall."

"Please stay in my room. I'll feel safer with you closer."

Hermione hesitated for a moment before answering, "Fine. I'll stay in your room, but we shall both be clothed. I'm not yet ready for more and I'm not sure you are."

Harry felt like answering, 'Am I not ready after shagging so many girls?' but he thought better of it. "Maybe I'm really not yet ready. We may only be after I confront those memories."

Hermione smiled and handed him the first vial. Harry was surprised to find that it smelled quite nice and didn't taste bad either. He didn't feel it was having any effect on him, though, except for some increased thirst which he started feeling a few minutes after drinking the potion.

Kreacher appeared immediately, carrying a large pitcher full of cold water and two glasses. He put it on the table and vanished silently.

Hermione was looking at Harry constantly, as if monitoring the potion's effects on him. Harry found it a bit unsettling. Not having anything better to do, he decided to ask her about her plans. "What are you going to do about your parents?"

Hermione gave it some thought before answering. "I haven't yet decided when I want to go looking for them, but it will be soon, I'm sure. I'll first spend a few days repairing any damage the house may have suffered, update my wardrobe and prepare for the voyage. I plan to voyage muggle-style, so I need to check with travel agencies for the best way to travel and I need to see what my financial means are."

"That should be no problem. We're engaged now, so you can use whatever money I have, and I believe I have more than enough for that."

Hermione smiled. "It may take me some time to get accustomed to that, you know. In any case, I think you should visit Gringotts soon to check your finances. It was even suggested in their letter, and Goblins are not known for patience."

Harry sighed. "Fine, we'll go there as soon as my memory is back. I still want to give you your ring, you know."

By now he had already drunk two glasses of water and he had a few glimpses into scenes he didn't seem to remember before, yet he didn't let this interfere with his conversation. He really meant it when he told Hermione that she was more important to him than all the others together.

"So, once you have the house restored and the travel arrangements made, where do you plan to go?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't really know. I gave them an urge to travel, so they may be anywhere in that continent. I did emphasize a few points to them, but I'm not sure what effect that might have. Basically, it's going to be a wild goose search." She grimaced at the idea, so much unlike her.

"What if they decided to settle down?"

"That may only ease it marginally, but it's worth a try."

Harry yawned. With his intense nightly activity for the past few weeks, he certainly needed some rest. "I think I should go to bed now. Stay with me, please! I promise not to do anything to offend you."

Hermione smiled. "Fine. I'll get ready in my room while you get ready in yours and then I'll join you. Make sure to wear your pyjamas, though." She had already seen him sleep naked with the other girls, Harry knew.

"It's too warm for that, but I'll wear the pyjamas bottom," he said.

Hermione just smiled and turned to her room. Harry drank two more glasses of water and went to his room, taking the half-empty pitcher with him.

He was already in bed when Hermione joined him. She was wearing a very conservative nightgown which reached her neck and went down to her feet, yet the cloth was light enough for Harry to see that she was probably wearing nothing else. Hermione moved into the empty space at his side, said "Good night," and closed her eyes, yet it was very clear that she was not sleeping.

Despite being tired, Harry couldn't sleep either, It wasn't due to the restored memory fragments, although some were really enticing. It was just that being so close to Hermione affected him in a way he didn't understand. He wanted to hold her, to cuddle with her and to feel her hugging him back. He knew they would have sex, eventually, but what he wanted was a bit different. It was not just a shag or a series of shags, but a deep commitment to be together for the rest of their lives.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Hermione's whisper, "Hug me, please."

Harry complied gladly. With Hermione cuddled in his embrace, he could finally fall asleep, not before he kissed her head tenderly. It took Hermione only seconds longer to also fall asleep, her ear pressed close to his heart, enjoying the constant rhythm.

Harry woke up a few hours later, feeling his bladder full. He wanted to get out of bed, but that seemed impossible. Hermione's head was resting comfortably on his upper arm while her hand was pressing his close to her heart, just between her breasts. There was no way he could move without waking her.

"Hermione dear, I need to go to the loo," he said softly.

"I'll help you!" she replied automatically, not even waking up.

Harry chuckled softly. "I don't need any help there, but it would help if you just free me, so I can handle this matter."

This made Hermione wake up a bit. "Sorry," she mumbled, as she moved her head to the pillow. Noticing where she was pressing his hand, she blushed a bit and hurriedly moved her hand away.

Harry returned moments later, drank another glass of water and cuddled close to Hermione. Although sleepy, Hermione moved even closer to him, took his hand and pressed it back to her chest. This time it was squarely on her breast. She sighed contentedly and fell back into slumber. Harry wondered shortly about the mysterious ways of the female mind before falling asleep as well.

Unlike the previous mornings, Harry didn't wake up with a start. He woke up slowly, his lungs full with the smell he knew to be Hermione's. Some hairs were tickling his face and he smiled, knowing these were also Hermione's. He then noticed that his hand was still pressed onto her breast. Well, that was not something he could ignore. He moved his hand lightly, feeling the firm and soft roundness of that breast, noticing that a nipple started hardening as soon as his hand started moving.

"Good morning," he heard the voice he loved most saying softly.

Harry opened his eyes. He couldn't see too well without his spectacles, but he wouldn't mistake that bushy brunette with anybody else. He smiled at her. "Good morning, love. Slept well?"

"Very well. Much better than I slept since the battle. How's your memory?"

Harry tried to concentrate. There were many more memory fragments he could recall now, although there were still some holes in them. Some of the memories made him blush. He found it hard to believe that the young man who shagged those girls so vigorously was actually himself. "There are still a few holes, but I think most are back," he said.

"Enjoy them?" she teased, yet he also heard a bit of worry in her voice.

"Some. A few are quite embarrassing, though. I won't be able to look some of these girls in the eyes again."

She smiled at him. "Oh, you will. They were all very pleased with what happened in your bed. Some were explicitly asking if I could give them another chance."

Harry blushed at the implications. "Don't! I only want to be with you from now on," he said seriously.

Hermione barely kept herself from hugging him tightly. She just pressed the hand that was still on her breast a bit tighter. This made Harry aware of it as well. "Do you..." he wasn't sure what he could ask.

"Harry, we are engaged. We're soon going to have sex. You may touch me freely when we are alone."

This made Harry smile with relief, yet something else was making him uncomfortable. "I need the loo again," he said apologetically.

"Don't I get a good-morning kiss first?" Hermione asked in mock annoyance.

"You sure do!" he said, and then kissed her passionately. Hermione responded with the same passion. Yet Harry couldn't keep this for long. He parted reluctantly. "We may continue a bit later," he said as he slipped from the bed.

Hermione was already out of bed when he returned. "We should now have some breakfast and then you should take the second vial. You may still feel a need to drink a lot, though, but the effect should be over before lunch."

She kissed him lightly on the cheek and went to her room to change. Harry looked after her until she closed the door. He sighed and then started his own morning ritual. Ten minutes later they were both sitting at the table. Kreacher popped in immediately, putting a generous breakfast on the table.

Harry smiled after Kreacher vanished again. "It's hard to believe that this is the same house elf that used to cause us so much trouble."

"You've treated him nicely and he repays you ten-fold. He had not been treated that way for too many years, causing his bad behaviour when we first met him," Hermione explained.

Harry just nodded and turned to his breakfast. He ate well, making Hermione enjoy looking at her man. He had not eaten that well since the battle, being too preoccupied with the victims of the war. She wasn't sure what brought the change, but she was glad to see him eat well. He was still way too thin.

While waiting for the potion to finish healing his memories, Harry returned to that subject. "Although most of my memories are back, they are the memories of a drunk man. Can you enlighten me on who I've spent time with?"

"Just a moment." Hermione went to her room and returned with a few pages of Muggle paper, clearly written with ball-point pen. She let him glance at the list before she resumed talking.

"A few hours after the battle, when Minerva sent us all to rest, I found you asleep on the sofa in the common room. Ginny let me stay guard near you, to make sure nobody disturbed you while she showered and changed. She then sent me to the dormitories, taking my place. You only woke up late in the afternoon, after most of the others were already awake. Ginny only dozed on the couch, guarding you.

"That evening, we were allotted this apartment, along with Neville, who only stayed here for two nights before going home. You started drinking soon after dinner. I think Kreacher brought the Firewhisky to you, although he wouldn't say. Ginny insisted on sleeping with you that night. I didn't like the idea but let her stay after casting the contraceptive spell on her. She frowned a bit, but let me do it.

"I was awakened at two in the morning by screams from your room. It looked like you were suffering a vivid nightmare. You cast some very impressive spells even though your wand was still on the nightstand. I had to use my strongest shields to help Ginny out before I could make you sleep again. Ginny didn't ask to go to bed with you since that night."

Hermione smiled a bit. 'As if glad to be rid of a competitor,' Harry thought.

"Other girls, though, didn't mind my warnings. I made sure to cast the contraceptive spell myself so that no unwanted pregnancies would be started."

"But you still allowed Susan without it," Harry commented.

"Yes, and also Daphne and Luna. They needed to continue their lines. Daphne also wanted to make sure she won't be sold to the highest bidder, as her father seems to be quite old-fashioned, despite loving her."

"Let me understand. You let Susan, Daphne and Luna shag me with no protection so that I could impregnate them. Don't you think I should have had a say in that?" Harry was becoming quite angry.

"You were too drunk to think straight, yet I knew you wouldn't refuse them, had you been sober. You have that thing for saving people, and especially damsels in distress."


	4. Lady

**A.N.**

I must apologize to those of you who're also following "Reluctant Alley". I had some problems with it even before, and now that the whole world seems to close on itself due to the Corona pandemic, I find it difficult to even concentrate on reading, let alone writing. Still, I haven't abandoned it and I promise to do my best to continue and finish that story. I wish you all good health. Stay safe and hopefully we shall all get out of this period stronger and wiser. (Written on March 20, 2020)

**4-Lady**

Harry's anger evaporated and he chuckled. "You know me better than I know myself, I think. I could have never refused them had they asked me seriously. Besides, they were all really nice shags. Do you know if it was successful for them?"

Hermione sighed. "It's too early to know, although Daphne and Luna may know in only a few days." She bit her lips in concern. "What do you intend to do about them?"

"I don't really know. I suppose I'd like to be in touch with them if they have my children. I don't want a child of mine to lack love." His eyes now glinted with mischief. "What do you suggest I do if they didn't get pregnant, though? Should I invite them to our bed?" Hermione caught the mischief and mock glared at him before turning serious again.

"I don't know yet how this may eventually affect us. If they get pregnant, you're bound to be a loving and caring father, but what will it mean for us as a couple? If they didn't get pregnant, though, your 'saving people' tendency may kick in, and it may also undermine our relationship." She looked really concerned and quite a bit frightened by the idea.

Harry moved closer and hugged her. "Remember, dear, you are more important for me than all of them put together. I won't let anything come between us. If ever I need to pay attention to somebody else, it won't be on your expense."

She smiled tearfully at him. "I love you so much, Harry. I don't want to lose you."

"And I love you too. You're never going to lose me." He kissed her head as she snuggled into his chest.

They sat that way for some time, both deep in contemplation. Harry noticed that Hermione's breathing calmed down, He looked at her face and saw that she fell asleep. Smiling tenderly, he tightened his hold on her and sighed contentedly.

They woke up when somebody knocked on the door. Harry let go of Hermione and she moved to sit straighter, smoothing her clothes with her hand. Harry stood up, a bit unsteadily, and walked to the door.

Daphne Greengrass was standing at the door, looking excited. She was still very formal, though. "Lord Potter, may I come in? I think I have some news for you and your lady."

Harry wondered at the weird phrasing but waved her in. Daphne sat down on a couch while Harry sat back by Hermione's side.

Daphne turned to Hermione first. "Lady Potter, I must thank you again for allowing me to be with your husband. I've visited St. Mungo's this morning and I found out I'm pregnant."

She now spoke to them both. "I want to thank you for cooperating with me and giving me this chance to continue the Greengrass line without being harnessed with a worthless husband. Thank you, Lord Potter, for impregnating me and giving me the child that I want."

"It was my pleasure," Harry said, recalling the event. It was really very pleasurable the first time, despite her being a virgin, and he kept shagging her for about five more times before collapsing. He grinned at the memory. "Besides, I think you should only call me Harry when in private."

"Why do you say we're married?" Hermione asked. "He only proposed to me yesterday."

"Well, congratulations, but you really don't need it. According to the records at the ministry, you've been married for a few months already. Since Christmas, I believe."

Hermione frowned. That Christmas eve had been too eventful. It was not something she would have liked to remember, yet if it got her married...

"So, are you here to inform us of your pregnancy?" Harry asked.

"That was the main reason. I'd also like to know how you want to handle this. I can say nothing about the father if you don't like me to."

Harry frowned. "No child of mine will grow without a father if I have anything to say about it. I want to take an active role in my child's life, not stay a well-hidden secret."

A smile lighted Daphne's face. Harry thought she was almost as beautiful as Hermione, when smiling. "I really hoped you'd say something like this. I believe a child needs both his parents. I'd like to live close to you, so my child will have free access to his father while he grows."

Harry looked a bit helpless. "I don't yet know where we're going to live. We still need to find Hermione's parents first. I also want to give her a proper wedding, even if we are magically wed."

Daphne smiled understandingly. "It's not urgent, you know. It will take about nine months before the child is born and a few more months before the baby can recognize people around him. Just let me know when you settle down."

"We will," both said.

Hermione had another question nagging at her. "How can you know you're pregnant so soon after..."

Daphne smiled. "You probably know that pregnancy, in those cases it starts, occurs about a day after intercourse, when the fertilized egg settles into the womb. Magic can detect that almost immediately, although Muggle means don't, as far as I know."

Hermione nodded understandingly.

Daphne hurried to tell her parents the news, leaving the couple alone. Harry looked at Hermione contemplatively. "So, Lady Potter, do you have a clue how we're suddenly married?"

Hermione shrugged. "She said Christmas. It could be when we went to Godric Hollow or the day after."

"Do you have a guess?"

Hermione blushed. "When we visited your parents' graves, disguised as an old couple, I thought it felt so right, as if we were really an old couple. I then wished we would eventually become an old couple..."

"I also thought it was so good to visit there with you. It felt right, as if this was what should have been. I wished we could really be a couple," he said.

She saw him look expectantly at her. "Well, it seems Magic made us a couple even before you proposed. It is weird somewhat, yet it does feel right."

Harry said nothing. He only pressed his lips to hers, starting a long and passionate kiss, with Hermione reciprocating just as passionately.

Harry had all his memories back by lunchtime. Some were very blurred, though, indicating the state he had been at due to drinking. Harry felt bad at being so inebriated that he couldn't remember much of several very nice girls with whom he spent time in bed. They would have probably been disappointed too, had they known.

Kreacher served them lunch, which they ate in silence. Harry was still contemplating the memories he had regained and Hermione was fearing he would find her less attractive than some; that he would regret their marriage.

Harry finally noticed her concerns. "You know, every girl I've been with was quite nice, but it's only at your side that I feel complete."

He didn't want to say more until after they've been physical. He was sure it would be better than with any other girl, but he really didn't know.

"I believe we now need to visit Gringotts. Do you know how to go there? We may need to use the Floo from McGonagall's office," Harry said.

"I believe the Goblins had a suggestion. Let me check the letters." Hermione rushed to her room and returned with both letters, frowning a bit.

"I don't remember this letter being addressed to Lady Potter. I would have noticed, I believe."

Harry smiled. "I love the sound of it, though. 'Lady Hermione Potter' sounds very nice to me."

Her face lightened with a big smile. "I fully agree with you, my dear husband. It does sound very nice." She then frowned back. "I wonder if my parents will like it as much as we do. They knew we were very close and that I had some feelings towards you, yet we've never discussed marriage."

She shook her head, as if getting rid of thoughts. "Well, they say that the letter can be used as a portkey. It should bring us directly to your account manager."

"I have an account manager?" Harry wondered.

"No. Gringotts has an account manager specifically assigned to your account. Even muggle banks have account managers for major accounts. Some handle several accounts, others are assigned to only one." Hermione explained. "We shall have to see if he also handles other accounts."

They spent the whole afternoon at the bank, learning the extent of the Potter accounts, not including the Black accounts, which were currently handled by a different goblin. Still, Harry made sure to visit the Potter vault and let Hermione choose a ring.

"You should wear your Lord ring," she suggested, "but I'll refrain from wearing the Lady Potter ring until we are officially wed." She still chose a modest nice ring to wear as her engagement ring.

Luna was waiting in the apartment's common room when they returned. "You should complete your bond," she said as a greeting, "now that you're finally aware of it."

Hermione didn't want to talk about that. "Hi, Luna. What made you come here? I thought you've already gone home."

Luna grimaced. "There's not much of a home left there, but I'm going to repair and improve it. Dad wanted some changes made but never had the time. Now I'm not even sure he's still alive."

"We shall help you," Hermione promised, "but you didn't come here for that, I'm sure."

"Of course. I just thought you would be interested to know that I've been impregnated by your husband. I thought you would both be interested." She sounded dreamy and distant, yet Harry noticed a bit of mischief in her eyes.

"I'm glad I could be of service," he said. "I'd like my child to get his or her father's love, as every child deserves."

"Oh, I was sure of that, but we can only start thinking of this after you return from Australia. It will probably take a few weeks. That will still leave enough time until the child is born."

Harry wasn't sure about Luna. She sometimes seemed just weird but other times she was as sharp as Hermione and some other times she seemed to see the future. Was she a seer? He had once asked her only to get one of her unintelligible answers. He had never tried again.

"Will you join us for dinner?" Hermione asked politely.

"Don't mind if I do. I'd also like to stay here overnight, if you don't mind. I can sleep in your bed, unless you want to exchange places."

Hermione blushed. She knew that Luna would gladly switch places with her, if she could. Despite her weirdness, Luna was a very good friend and had become even closer since being rescued from Malfoy Manor. Yet it made her think. What was she waiting for? Harry was already experienced enough to assure a good first time for her. He was also quite eager, although he was willing to wait until she felt ready. Hermione was not sure about herself, though. Despite being officially recognized as Harry's wife, was she ready to consummate the marriage?

She couldn't dwell on that, though. Kreacher brought them dinner and didn't comment seeing Luna there. They didn't talk much during dinner. Harry felt quite ravenous after the long visit at the bank and Hermione was disturbed by conflicting thoughts and feelings. Luna didn't mind the silence. She ate with gusto, yet showing impeccable table manners, and hummed to herself. Harry thought she looked quite content. He could vaguely recall the night spent with her. He had been too drunk to remember much, but what he managed to recall seemed to indicate that Luna liked it. He only remembered being surprised by the ripe female body she showed, once her robes fell. She was certainly no longer the skinny little girl he had first met during his fifth year.

It took Hermione most of the time spent on dinner to reach a conclusion. Once she did, it seemed so natural that she didn't understand why it took her so long to decide. She loved Harry and wanted to be his since much longer than a year. It was probably since the fourth year, when she had agreed to Krum's offer only to make Harry notice her and not take her for granted. Failing that, as she hadn't seen any change in Harry's attitude, she had tried consoling herself with Ron, who proved to be a worse consolation than she'd initially thought. Yet once Harry said that he loved her, why hadn't she acted on it?

Presented with the choice between sleeping with Harry or letting Luna sleep with Harry – the choice was clear. "Luna, you may use my previous room tonight. I really like to finally sleep with my husband."

Luna smiled at that. "Of course, Lady Potter. I didn't expect any different."

With that decision made, everything seemed to fall into place. A few well-placed spells took care of moving Hermione's stuff to the master bedroom. "Do you want me to leave a nightgown for you?" she asked Luna.

"No. I don't normally wear anything in bed. I feel less restricted that way. I suggest you try it too. Both of you, really," Luna answered in neutral tones. Harry still noticed her eyes twinkling with some barely held mischief. He actually liked it.

They soon retired for the night. Harry noticed that Hermione hesitated in front of her wardrobe, finally deciding on a flimsy nightgown, one that was almost transparent and quite short. He didn't expect it to stay in place for too long. He decided to only wear his pyjama bottom for similar reasons.

He let Hermione be the first to use the bathroom. He noticed that her nightgown barely reached her thighs, once she came out and moved swiftly to bed, immediately pulling the blanket up to her shoulders.

Harry made sure to wash all signs of sweat and dirt from his body. He then brushed his teeth thoroughly and freshened his mouth. He really wanted to make this night an unforgettable experience for his beloved wife, one she would gladly want to repeat.

Hermione blushed when she saw him coming half naked to bed, despite having seen him totally naked before, when urging his sex-partners out, yet that was different. She was glad when the blanket covered his exposed chest and even gladder when she felt him move closer to her, making her acutely aware of the warmth emanating from his freshly showered body. Not even thinking, she instinctively moved closer and cuddled into Harry, her head resting on his chest. She was glad to hear the steady beating of his heart – a heart she had not been sure that would beat for long until the final battle was over. It was now so reassuring, so magnificent. She simply had to turn her head and kiss Harry.

Nothing seemed awkward. Every action led to the next in the most natural flow. Their clothes were soon discarded as their bodies seemed to seek to become much closer and to finally unite. Hermione knew that breaking her hymen was painful. She even dimly felt it, but it was irrelevant. She was just uniting with the love of her life and could not let any disturbance interfere. Just like the stories she had heard from other girls, that first time was only the appetizer. She felt she wanted much more, and Harry seemed to want that as well. It was much later when their bodies were sated, although their minds wanted more and more. They cuddled comfortably and fell asleep, both smiling happily.


	5. Houses

**5-Houses**

Luna didn't comment the next morning. She just smiled at them and said, "Good Morning," although it was past noon when Hermione and Harry came out of the bedroom. Kreacher brought them some food. "I've eaten earlier, since I probably fell asleep long before you did," Luna said, letting them eat in peace. She only smiled to herself when she saw the couple exchanging meaningful glances. It was just as expected.

"We need to move now, being the only students still at Hogwarts. Where can we stay for a while?" Hermione asked, once she finished eating.

"I suppose we could use Grimmauld Place. It may not look too inviting, but it is quite close to all the places we need to visit. The Potter houses are all out of London and quite far, actually." Harry said.

"Using apparition, distance is not too relevant," Luna commented.

Harry grimaced at that. He really disliked most magical ways of transport, except for broom flying.

"We need access to mostly Muggle places, so apparition is not recommended," Hermione said. "Besides, it's nicer to have everything at walking distance. Dad used to bring some fresh rolls each morning when I was smaller. The bakery was just around the corner of the street."

"You may also stay at a hotel or even at the Leaky Cauldron, you know," Luna suggested.

"We shall have enough of hotels on our search, I believe. Still, we need to know if Grimmauld place is even habitable right now. Kreacher!"

The house-elf appeared immediately, bowing his head, yet he seemed content.

"Do you know if Grimmauld Place is habitable right now and what needs to be done to make it comfortable for us?" Hermione asked.

"Kreacher has taken the liberty to have the house cleaned and the decor changed from snakes to gryphons. The Potter house-elves helped willingly. Kreacher hopes he's done right."

"I own more house-elves?" Harry asked, just as Hermione said, "Very well done, Kreacher."

The elf now turned to Harry. "The Black estate only had one house-elf, since most of its money was put in the bank. The Potter estate has many house elves, taking care of houses, fields, groves, vineyards and wineries, as well as keeping guard on the muggle facilities owned by Potter."

"Why didn't I know?"

The elf shrugged. "Everybody else seemed to know. They probably assumed Master knew too."

"How many are there?"

"Kreacher doesn't know. Twinkle, the Potter head house-elf, should know."

"Twinkle?"

As soon as Harry spoke the name, another house-elf appeared. This one seemed younger and was wearing a kind of uniform with the Potter crest under the left shoulder and some stripes sewn on its upper left sleeve. "What can Twinkle do for Master and Mistress?" he asked, bowing slightly.

"Please call us Harry and Hermione. I want to apologize for not knowing about you until now. I really feel like I have neglected you."

The elf smiled. "Master Harry need not apologize. Twinkle knows, and so do the others. They are all waiting for their master and mistress now."

"How many are they?"

"There be thirty-seven on the British Isle and twenty-nine on the continent."

"Are they all well?" It was Hermione who asked.

"Of course, Lady Hermione. All Potter house-elves have been taking care of every Potter property since Master Harry was one year old, and the house elves are an important and valuable property that needs to be taken care of." One couldn't be sure if it was said seriously or with some hidden sarcasm, yet Harry responded even before Hermione did.

"You are not property! You are all family, and I appreciate the work you've done when I couldn't take care of it. When can I meet all other Potter house-elves?"

Twinkle smiled. "No need to rush. They can wait for you to return from Australia before being properly introduced, unless you need some of them for specific tasks."

Harry couldn't think of anything urgent, but Hermione had some questions. "Do we have any apartment or house within London?"

Twinkle didn't need to think long about it. "There be a big apartment in Diagon Alley. Some window glasses were shattered during the war and have already been repaired. A house, big enough for a large family, is in Muggle area, near Kensington Gardens, unused for many years. It may need some modernization if you plan living there. Then, there's an apartment on Wimpole street that is currently let to a muggle representative of some kind."

"Can you compare the apartment on Diagon Alley with the house at Grimmauld Place?"

"Oh, the apartment is much smaller. It only has six bedrooms, only four of which have private bathrooms, and no library. It only has a small study with about two hundred books there. It also has a kitchen, a dining room and a reception hall, of course. It is more modern, though, and even has a telephone line and electric lights. If you choose to stay there for a while, we may put a television set in there."

"How can it work with all that magic around?"

Twinkle smiled sadly. "Lady Lily found that a simple shield charm makes all the difference. We now use runes for permanent shielding."

Hermione turned to Kreacher now. "Do you agree with Twinkle?"

"Yes. That apartment may be more suitable for now. By the time you return, Grimmauld place may provide a better choice for long stays."

Hermione looked at Harry. To Luna, it seemed to be a silent consultation. A moment later, Harry spoke. "We shall stay in the apartment until we leave for Australia. Luna, you are invited to stay with us if you don't have your own place. Now, how do we go there?"

"The easiest way is to let one of the house-elves take you. Taffty, who cares for the apartment, will be just too happy to do this for you, Mas... Harry and Hermione," Twinkle said.

Harry smiled, noticing that Twinkle was really trying to do as requested. "Well, we need to pack first, although there's not too much to pack," he said.

"Kreacher will pack and bring it there. It is unfit for Master and Mistress to do a house-elf's job," Kreacher said firmly.

Harry looked at the girls. "Are you two ready?" Both nodded. "In that case – Taffty!"

Another house-elf appeared. This one looked even younger and seemed to be female, judging by the bulge of her uniform. Her large eyes glinted with joy. "What can Taffty do for you?" she asked.

"Would you be so kind to take the three of us to the apartment in Diagon Alley? We would like to stay there while making preparations for our voyage," Harry said.

"Of course, Master Harry. Taffty will take you gladly. Just hold hands. I'll take you at once."

Harry wasn't sure what she meant, but having experienced such a travel with Dobby, the three just held hands with each other. Taffty took hold of Harry's waist and a moment later they were standing in the entrance hall of a large apartment. Taffty released her hold on Harry as soon as the three were standing steadily on their feet. "Welcome to Diagon Alley," she said with flourish.

Harry smiled at her. "Well done, Taffty. Now, do you mind showing us the apartment?"

It was a two-floors apartment. The lower floor contained the entrance hall, a comfortable living room, the study, the kitchen, a dining room and a guest lavatory. The upper floor consisted of only six bedrooms of various sizes and a guest bathroom, serving the two bedrooms that lacked attached bathrooms. The master bedroom was almost double in size, compared to the others, and had two walk-in wardrobes. The attached bathroom had a large bath, reminding Harry of the Prefects' Bathroom at Hogwarts, as well as a shower stall, large enough for three or four people at once. Harry wondered what it had previously been used for.

Luna chose the adjacent bedroom. Despite being much smaller, it was almost as luxurious as the master bedroom. It also had a connecting door, openable only from the other side. "This can do very nicely until I finish rebuilding my house. You can also visit me here or invite me to join you, if you like."

Harry dismissed it as another weird "Luna talk," but Hermione blushed at the idea. She was sure Luna was more than ready to join their bed or be joined in her own, yet Hermione was not yet ready to share any more than she had already done.

"It's still early. I think we should do some shopping. We shall only need muggle clothes for the near future, though," Hermione said.

"May I join you? I've never gone to muggle shops. I've barely seen anything of the Muggle world on passing. It can be exciting to really visit there," Luna asked.

Harry shrugged. While he knew the muggle world quite well, he had never gone shopping for himself and certainly not for any young woman. He thought this might be an interesting experience. Hermione was not so certain at first, but then decided that another young woman could just help her where Harry would have no clue.

"Of course. It can be fun," she said, "but we first need to cast some glamours, so we can pass through Diagon Alley, and transfigure our clothes to better merge with muggle London."

She started by making Harry blond, with long hair and brown eyes. She masked his scar by making it merge into a tattoo on his forehead and finally made his worn clothes look fitter and more presentable. She changed Luna to a brunette with dark eyes making her look well tanned. She transfigured Luna's robes into a nice dress. Finally, she changed her own appearance to have straight blond hair and blue eyes. She didn't need to do anything about her clothing, except for making it look fresher.

Nobody paid them any attention on the street and they left through the Leaky Cauldron, entering muggle London. It was only a short walk to the underground station. Hermione explained everything to Luna, who proved to be a smart Ravenclaw by not showing her excitement and wonderment at the new experience. She just followed Hermione obediently. Harry did the same, since this was also his first time using the underground. Hermione led them to a high-quality department store that she had used to frequent since childhood. She easily navigated between the departments, starting with menswear.

Harry was delighted as the two young women were making sure that he bought the best fitting clothes and that he had enough for all occasions. It was a kind of pampering he had never experienced. Hermione insisted on buying some new shoes for him as well as a few sets of underwear. They finished in less than an hour, going out of the men's department with several bulky packages.

Hermione suggested taking the lift. Since most shoppers were using the escalators, the three were the only occupants of the elevator. Hermione quickly cast some spells, shrinking the packages and putting them in her handbag.

Without the burden of these large packages, they could start shopping at leisure for the ladies.

Luna was fascinated at the large selection available and the multitude of options. Wizards wore robes, period. They varied mainly in the colours and materials as well as workmanship. Almost everything else was considered underwear, except for cloaks and overcoats, of course. In this single shop, she found more variety than she had ever considered possible. She moved from stand to stand as if in trance, unable to stop and consider what she wanted, much more confused than she normally seemed.

Harry had already heard some boys telling horror stories about going shopping with girlfriends or with their female family members. He had never thought they were true. Now he was reconsidering. While Luna's reaction was somewhat expected, Hermione didn't seem to act much better. She was moving from stand to stand, giving each a critical examination and occasionally choosing a garment and letting Harry carry it for her. After a while, Luna started doing the same, making Harry feel like a walking wardrobe.

Before it became too annoying, though, they reached the changing rooms. Harry was relieved of his burden as the girls took everything to try it on. He soon found the experience to turn more pleasurable. Each girl would come out to show Harry this garment or that and hear his opinion. Some clothes were quite daring, and Harry was enjoying what he saw, despite having seen much more the previous nights.

It was not over yet. With that section covered, they moved to the next, repeating the process. It was only when they reached the underwear section that Hermione suggested to Harry, "Why don't you wait for us at the café across the street?"

\/\/\/

With their shrunk shopping stowed in Hermione's handbag and wearing some new clothes, they all felt in high mood. "Why don't we go to the cinema?" Hermione suggested, knowing it would be another new experience for Luna.

"I've never been to a cinema either," Harry admitted.

That made Hermione more determined. She found a nearby ticket office, where she scanned the list of films for the day, deciding on a light romantic comedy. Harry bought three tickets and they took a taxi to reach the cinema, as it was a bit far and they didn't want to apparate in a muggle environment.

As much as Harry enjoyed the film, he enjoyed the company even more. He sat between the two girls and they both wanted to cuddle into him. Hermione took his hand, once the lights went off, and slid it under her shirt, letting it rest on her breasts. Luna didn't wait any longer before moving his other hand along her thighs until it reached the apex of her mound, where she directed his fingers to her clit. They also kissed him every few minutes. When the ending titles rolled on the screen, Harry wasn't sure about the plot of the film, but he was sure this was an experience he would gladly repeat.

Back in their apartment, Hermione unshrank their shopping, letting Luna take hers to her room. She then helped Harry take theirs to the master bedroom, where she didn't wait long to start kissing him and encouraging him to make love to her.

Harry woke up feeling wonderfully refreshed. He saw Hermione sleeping peacefully at his side. He then noticed there was another person in bed with them, as he felt a pair of smaller breasts pressing at his back. He turned around, trying not to wake Hermione. Now those breasts were pressing into his chest and Luna put a finger on his lips. "She called me to join you after you fell asleep. She said she didn't mind if I help you release some steam, although I believe she was referring to some other substance."

When Hermione woke, half an hour later, Harry was back asleep with one hand resting on Luna's abdomen and his other on Hermione's.


	6. Restoration

**6-Restoration**

They visited the Granger house later that day. It didn't seem to suffer from any Death-Eaters attack, yet there was some damage. Somebody had forced open one of the boarded windows and they found signs of drugs being used and a bit of vandalism. A few spells got rid of that. Hermione had shrunk most of the contents of the house, leaving only the built-in closets, the kitchen and the sanitary equipment in place. She had hidden the shrunk stuff behind what seemed like a blank panel under the dishwasher.

With three wands working, it was a matter of minutes to have all dust removed, all furniture restored to its previous size and position (including the contents) and the doors and windows boarding removed. Hermione soon felt it was the home she had left behind almost a year earlier, except for the most important aspect – her parents weren't there.

With the house proper taken care of, they turned their attention to the yard. "We can't use magic to restore it. That would be too obvious," Hermione noted sadly, looking at the wild growth of shrubs and the generally neglected impression given by what had used to be a cultivated garden.

"I think I should call a gardener to take care of this," Hermione said, after inspecting the backyard too.

"We have our own gardeners, I believe," Harry said with a smile, before calling, "Twinkle!"

The house elf appeared immediately. "What do you need?"

Hermione waved at the yard. "This place was not given any care since early last summer. I'd like it to be restored to its previous state, so that my parents will feel they're coming home, once I find them. Please make sure not to be seen, since this is a Muggle area."

Twinkle clicked his fingers, changing his appearance to that of a middle-aged man. "Is this satisfactory?" he asked with a smile.

"Perfect!" She said and then frowned again. "I'm not sure how long it will take to find my parents and how they may react when finding out the truth, but how long do you think you need for restoring this?" She waved her hand around indicating both front and back yards.

"It may take up to a month, since we can't let this look magical. Don't you want some wards erected?"

"What kind of wards?"

"Mainly ones against intruders and thieves. Nothing that would stand out as magic to others."

Hermione nodded. "Do it. We found some signs of junkies breaking in. I don't want anybody to abuse this house before my parents return."

With that problem solved, Hermione turned her attention to Luna. "Do you need any help in restoring your house?"

Luna sighed, looking suddenly sad. "I don't yet know what to do. The house is in ruins and I'm not sure if it can be restored or if it's better to just remove all the remains and build anew."

"Twinkle, can you help us evaluate the options?" Hermione asked.

"I'm no expert in building. I can send you Boomy. We call him whenever we need something built."

"Well, we're going with Luna. Send him in about half an hour, after we see what's still there."

Twinkle bowed and vanished. Hermione led them back into the house, locking and securing all the doors and the windows. "Let's apparate there," she said.

Harry remembered the Lovegood house the way he had seen it a few months earlier. While weird, like its inhabitants, it was nice and homey. There was little to remind him of that place now. Half the outer walls were missing and the interior, that could now be seen, was also mostly demolished. Harry remembered the way they escaped and assumed that at least a part of the damage was due to that event. He felt bad at seeing what that had probably caused. Looking at Hermione, he thought he saw a similar feeling.

"Most of the damage was done by the Death-Eaters, after you managed to escape," Luna said as a matter-of-fact. "They then took Daddy and nobody has seen him since. I hope he's still alive, but I'm not sure."

When they walked closer, the damage seemed to be even worse. Harry wasn't sure if anything could be salvaged, but he said nothing. As his mood was swinging down, he heard a "pop", and a house-elf, wearing what looked like a miniature overall with Potter crest on the front pocket, materialized. "Twinkle said you may have need of Boomy," he said, bowing slightly.

Hermione took charge immediately. "You see, Boomy, this used to be a nice house. It was mostly destroyed during the war. We were wondering if it could be restored."

"Let Boomy check this for you," the elf said. It then started jumping from place to place within the ruined house, seeming to be in all places at once. A few minutes later he reported his findings. "Not much left of the lower two stories, but the basic structure can be easily restored. There's only minor damage to the ceiling of the third floor. The stairs need to be rebuilt. The cellar is as good as new, though. Boomy suggests restoring what can be restored and then adding a new, modern wing for Lady Lovegood and her children."

"How long will it take?" Hermione asked.

"Less than two weeks for the basic building, another week or two for the decorations."

Luna noticed something else. "You said children, as is – more than one?"

"Of course. With twins, you wouldn't want too many stairs. I suggest the family wing be all on ground Floor."

"They only said I was pregnant with a boy. They never said anything about twins," Luna murmured, a bit overwhelmed.

"Human healers can's see twins this early. House-elves can see two auras there, indicating twins – a boy and a girl."

Harry felt suddenly as shocked as Luna. He was not yet eighteen. He had never seriously thought of becoming a father before being a few years older. If he survived, that is. And suddenly he had a prospect of two children in less than a year. More, actually, since Daphne was also pregnant, and maybe even Susan. He was sure Hermione wouldn't want to be left behind either.

Hermione sensed his panic build. She grabbed his hand reassuringly and noticed that it had the right effect, as Harry seemed to calm down. "You'll do alright," she whispered to him, making him smile nervously.

Luna recovered quickly. She wanted to discuss all the details of the proposed building effort with Boomy. "Please help Luna like she's one of the family," Harry asked Boomy. "You may use any help needed to complete the task,"

Boomy didn't look surprised. "Of course. Lady Lovegood **is** family."

Harry didn't want to dwell on these words. He let Hermione take his hand in hers and they both apparated back to the apartment on Diagon Alley.

"It wasn't your fault!" Hermione told him as soon as they arrived. "It was war, and Xeno tried his best to save his daughter. Had you acted differently, it would have turned worse."

Harry sighed. "I know. I keep telling that to myself, but I still feel bad about it. I feel like I could have prevented most of the damage and the victims had I been..."

"What? You did the best that you could under the circumstances. Nobody can fault you for acting carelessly or stupidly, even if there are some things you would have done differently had you known then what you know now."

She took a deep breath. "Now, we should start planning our search. I think we should travel like muggles. It will be safer, in case any remaining death-eaters are looking for revenge, and would also be more in line with the rest of the search, since my parents will surely be in a muggle area. We shouldn't look out of place or attract undue attention, you know."

This seemed to also take Harry's mind off the war and back to the current task. "You intend us to take a plane to Australia?"

"We may also need to take a few more when we're there. Australia is quite big, you know," she reminded him.

Harry frowned. "We shall need passports, then. I have none and I'm not even sure I have the documents needed to ask for one. Do you have a passport?"

An owl came in, landing in front of Hermione and preventing her from answering. Hermione took the parchment and read it once before reading it again, loudly, for Harry.

"_Dear Lady Potter,_

_My parents are not happy with what I've done. While they appreciate the thought of giving them a Greengrass heir, they are quite mad at me for disobeying them and preventing them from forming a marriage contract with a member of some minor house who would gladly take the Greengrass name (and fortunes) along with taking me. Knowing who their intended is, I couldn't be gladder of not ending with him._

_Still, living in the same house with my parents is quickly becoming intolerable. Can you, please, let me live with you and Lord Potter? Wherever you may be, I'm sure it will be much nicer than staying with my parents._

_Eagerly awaiting your answer,_

_Daphne Greengrass."_

She looked at Harry questioningly.

He shrugged. "What do you think?"

Hermione sighed. "I hoped I could be with you alone until we return from Australia, at least. This doesn't seem to be happening. Luna is already staying with us, Daphne asked to join us, and I'm quite sure Susan will also want that. Why can't they leave us alone at least until their pregnancies show?"

Harry smiled reassuringly at her. "Still, they all defer to you, my love, and I also believe they won't come to Australia with us."

"At least that!" she huffed.

Harry took her hand in his. "I think that if living with her parents is too stressful, it may adversely affect the child she's carrying. We should help her, even if she didn't carry my child."

Hermione smiled despite having some tears in her eyes. "Why can't I have you all for myself?" She kissed him briefly before turning business-like again. "Fine, I'll let her come tomorrow."

She quickly wrote a reply and gave it to the owl, which took off immediately. She now returned to the previous topic.

"I had a passport since I was a child, but it has already expired, I believe. I probably need a new one, just like you, yet we have no document of our marriage." She thought for a bit. "Let's go to Gringotts. I'm sure they have some means to help us."

She was right. The goblins were able to produce legal documents for magical folks, as a nomination letter from the king, dated more than a century back, testified. Hermione was glad to hold the new passport, where her name was Hermione Potter née Granger. She felt proud at being Harry's wife.

The goblins proved to also be helpful in another way. Hermione had given her parents new credit cards, bearing their new names, connected to a bank that served as Gringotts' extension in the muggle world. This account was secretly connected to their own original accounts. One of the attributes of these cards was the ability they gave Gringotts to track their position. This could be very useful in tracking lost and stolen cards, but it came in handy now, when trying to find her parents.

"This parchment shows the exact location of both cards, shown in the standard geographical notation," the goblin told Hermione. "It is updated every time they move more than ten feet from the previous location, so they can be traced to the exact room in a house, if needed."

"Thank you very much. This will probably turn very useful," Hermione said.

"It is an honour to help you, Lady Potter."

Back in their apartment, Hermione checked the atlas found in the study to see where her parents were. They seemed to be somewhere in central Australia, but since the coordinates changed rapidly, she assumed they were travelling, maybe even by plane.

"We need to buy a more detailed map of Australia," Hermione said. "We may do it later, after finding flight tickets."

"Can't we use the phone to order them?" Harry asked.

Hermione thought for a moment. "That could work, but we don't know the numbers and we are oblivious to the prices. We need to first visit a few agencies and learn about the different flights, their options and the prices before deciding what to do. I also think it would be helpful if we could drive. Maybe a few driving lessons are in order, even if we don't get a license yet."

"I thought you already had a driving license."

"I didn't have time to get one. I've been quite busy for more than a year, and too young before that." Her words made Harry cringe remembering the nasty injury she had gotten at the Ministry at the end of their fifth year. He had still not forgiven himself for indirectly causing that.

Taffty brought him out of his musing. "May I serve lunch now? I also need to know what you want for dinner, if you're eating in. You skipped dinner yesterday."

Despite the hinted accusation, Hermione could not feel bad. While food was a necessity, sex was also one, and the previous night she needed the latter much more than the former. "We shall eat now. I'd like to know what you consider your best dishes before deciding on dinner, though."

Taffty seemed content with the response, leading them to the dining hall. Hermione asked her to sit with them and discuss the options for dinner while eating.


	7. Preparations

**7-Preparations**

After lunch, Hermione first apparated them to her parents' home. "I know some agencies nearby and Dad kept a list of the recommended agencies in his drawer. It may come up handy."

The list proved handy. They called a few agencies, just to get a feeling for the flights available and their prices. Although Harry said that they had enough and needn't bother about prices, Hermione insisted on finding the best price in principle. They soon found out that most flights were booked months ahead, so that they would have to wait if they wanted to go tourist class. This made Harry more insistent. "We have more money than we could use in several lifetimes. We don't need to fly tourist class when we can easily afford first class and ride more pleasantly."

"But first class is way overpriced! We shouldn't encourage this!"

Harry smiled. "It is expensive so that it can allow the few who can afford it all that 'first class' may imply. I'm willing to pay the price so that my wife will have a nice flight, not being squeezed between chairs with barely room enough for her legs. Don't you allow me to pamper the woman I love?"

Hermione sighed in defeat, yet smiled lovingly. "When you put it this way, I must agree it is worth it."

There was no problem finding first-class tickets, so they decided not to rush. Instead, they first bought a detailed map of Australia. Hermione cast a charm on it that made each set of coordinates from the goblin parchment appear as a point on the map. After a short while, they could clearly see the line starting to form, coinciding with one of the main roads in the north of that continent. It was unknown for how long they would follow that road, but the general area was now perfectly clear. With that information in mind, it was easy to buy tickets for a flight to Darwin, due in two days.

"Why didn't we take the first flight available?" Harry asked.

"We can't just go with no preparations. We need proper clothing for the flight and then something suitable for the weather there. Darwin is much warmer than London and I don't think we have anything appropriate, although the southern regions are experiencing winter. We also need suitcases and handbags suitable for first class. You can't just go there looking like a penniless teenager."

"So, tomorrow we go shopping again?" He didn't sound too thrilled.

"You bet!" She then looked at his face and added, "I'll make sure to compensate you for your efforts." The slight movement of her hips hinted at the type of compensation she had in mind. That seemed satisfactory to him.

Luna was already in the apartment when they arrived, looking tired and sad. "What is it, Luna?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling a lot of tenderness to this girl... no – young woman who was carrying his children.

"Oh, it's nothing really. Spending the time at my old home just stirred a lot of memories, many of which are painful. I although thought of Dad, wondering if he's still alive. Maybe if I meditate on it I may have some vision or hint to help me find him. At least I hope so."

"Did you accomplish anything there?"

"Some. Boomy made a secure pathway to the cellar and I spent some time there. It used to be my mother's potions lab and study. The lab had been totally destroyed when... but Dad cleaned and restored it. He didn't touch her study, and I found some interesting stuff there. It looks like I own more than just that house. I have another vault to check now. At least, I won't have to be a burden to you."

"You're not a burden, even if you had nothing of your own. You are a dear friend and much more, soon to be the mother of my two children. You're an asset, not a burden."

Luna smiled now. "Well, maybe there were too many nargles there. I already feel much better. Thank you, Harry." She then stood up and kissed Harry passionately, as if to show her thanks.

Hermione didn't let it last. "You know, Daphne is going to join us tomorrow. You two will have to stay here together when we leave for Australia in another day."

"Greengrass? We've not exchanged more than a few words since I first came to Hogwarts."

"I think she may surprise you. She's quite a nice girl when she lets her shields down. I also have a feeling that Susan will join the household quite soon."

"I thought you didn't like divination," Luna commented.

"That's not divination. Her home is destroyed. She has no family and she asked for Harry to give her an heir. It will be just natural for her to want to be here, don't you agree?"

"I can certainly see her joining the family." Luna's voice turned dreamy and distant again. "I can see her son playing with the others and an old man – Dad! – watching over them all, smiling with happiness. I only wish I knew how to find him."

Her tone became normal again. "I have a feeling you're going to be very important in finding him."

Hermione checked her map after dinner. Her parents were still on that road. They didn't move since she last checked. She hoped they were only resting and nothing worse, yet she felt some unrest. She wished she could already be with them and present her husband to them.

Once again, Harry spent some time sating his wife and enjoying every moment of it before they both fell asleep, limbs entwined. He woke up hearing Hermione whisper, "Wake up, my dear insatiable husband. Your wife wants her morning exercise."

As if to emphasize her words, Hermione was hovering over him, caressing his body with her breasts. It was certainly much better than an alarm clock. Harry complied willingly, sheathing his "morning wood" in her inviting wet tunnel. Once this was over, they showered together, got dressed for the day and went to the dining room for breakfast.

Taffty seemed extremely happy that morning, glancing once and again at Hermione, until Hermione could stand it no longer. "What is it, Taffty? Why are you looking at me this way?"

Taffty didn't mind. She still kept her happy mood. "Taffty is very happy to see there's going to be another Potter soon. Taffty likes babies very much."

Hermione blushed. "Do you mean to say that I'm pregnant?"

"Of course, Lady Hermione. Isn't that why you keep taking Lord Harry inside you?"

Hermione's face turned even redder. "Thank you, Taffty. I think we don't need anything more right now."

Hermione lowered her eyes. She hadn't discussed this with Harry, but since she let the other girls try to get impregnated by Harry, she felt a strong urge to do the same, even before she found out they were married. Now, she was unsure about Harry's reaction to the news. Would he be angry about not being consulted? Would he be happy for her?

She didn't need to worry. A moment later she felt his arms engulfing her in a big hug as he whispered in her ear, "I'm so glad! I was worried you may become jealous of those I've impregnated while drunk. Now you don't have a cause to be jealous. You'll have your own little baby to raise along with me, and maybe later we'll give him some more family."

"You aren't mad at me for not using precautions?"

"Not at all. I always wanted a family, and now we're working on it. I only hope we find your parents before you become too big to travel safely."

"Oh, you'll find them in a few weeks, I'm sure. You'll be back with them long before it will show," Luna reassured them. "Congratulations, Hermione. You really deserve to be his wife after being the closest person to Harry for so many years."

The happy babbling was interrupted by a knock on the door. Taffty opened it to a young woman dressed very formally. "Lady Potter invited me here. I'm Daphne Greengrass."

"Lord and Lady Potter are expecting you, as well as Lady Lovegood," Taffty said, showing her in and taking her luggage.

The formal, "Ice Queen" mask melted as soon as she saw Hermione. Daphne ran in and hugged Hermione, who stood up from her chair. "You don't know how awful it has become even in a single day. Luckily, once I got your reply, I could just ignore them and make sure everything I need is packed. It's such a relief to come here!"

Hermione smiled at the blonde. "You're welcome in our house. We have enough room to take you in. Luna is already living with us since we moved here. You may choose any of the unoccupied bedrooms and settle in. We have some errands to do today and we leave for Australia tomorrow, but you can stay here indefinitely."

Daphne turned her head to Luna, some of her "Ice Queen" attitude returning. "So, you're Lady Lovegood, a Ravenclaw, if I remember correctly?"

Luna smiled back. "Yes, I'm Luna Lovegood, who's sometimes called Loony. Glad to meet you. Since we're both going to have Potter children, I think we should get to know each other."

Daphne relaxed visibly. "Yes, we should, and it looks like we're going to have plenty opportunity for this."

With breakfast over, the Potters left for shopping. Hermione chose a more prestigious department store for this shopping, "one fit for first-class travellers," as she said. Although she was more focused this time, having to shop for many items did take time, and then she helped Harry with his shopping. They spent most of the morning there and even ate lunch at the in-store restaurant on the highest floor. After lunch, they bought the handbags and suitcases they needed. Once again they used the elevator ride to shrink everything down and store it in their pockets.

"I think we should also do something about your glasses," Hermione told Harry.

"What do you mean?"

"You need your eyes checked and new glasses fitted, I suggest you take two pairs, to always have a spare one. A newer frame would be nice too. We may also see if you can use contacts. If so, they may prove even better than glasses."

Visiting the optometrist was an eye-opener in more than one way. Harry found that his old glasses were not good for him. His new eyeglasses gave him a much clearer vision and wider field of view. He also bought contacts, but as advised, he would not use them on the flight. He just stowed them away, intending to use them once he landed in Australia.

They also visited a photo shop, where Hermione insisted on buying Harry a modern camera, "so we can have some recorded memories of our honeymoon trip," as she said at the shop.

They found three young women waiting for them when they returned to their apartment. "Lady Bones asked if she could stay here for a while and, remembering our conversation, I thought this was okay," Luna told them.

"You're welcome, Susan," Hermione told the redhead. "You should only know that Harry and I are leaving for Australia tomorrow and may take some time to come back. You three will have to learn to live with each other."

"That's, alright," Daphne assured her. "We're going to be fine."

Harry wasn't sure how to feel during dinner. It was nice being sought after by such lovely young ladies, yet not while married to another, and he really loved Hermione more than any person in the world, of that he was absolutely sure. He held her hand in his as much as he could, just to make her feel more secure in his love.

Hermione was also a bit confused. She knew she would eventually have to share her husband with these three, if only for the children, yet she initially expected to have some more time alone with him. She wondered how their presence would change things.

They retired soon after dinner. Harry gave each girl a short kiss on her cheek, yet Hermione hugged each of them before going to the master bedroom. They didn't go to bed immediately, though. They checked their shopping, deciding on which items to pack where, taking into account the different weather as well as the in-flight conditions. Harry felt a bit lost at that, but Hermione, who already had previous travelling experience with her parents, seemed to know exactly what to do.

With the list mostly finished, it was time for Hermione to give Harry his promised reward. She stripped slowly, teasingly, while he watched with fascination. Then, wearing only a smile, she undressed him, making it more like erotic caresses than merely removing garments. By the time he was naked as well, they were both more than ready. Still, Hermione let Harry lie on his back while she caressed his body with hers, teased his nipples, licked his throat and fondled his balls. Harry couldn't stay passive for long. He responded, giving Hermione's body as much attention as she was giving his. By the time their bodies united, it was a magnificent explosion of love, lust and physical need, which kept them on the peak for quite some time, until they both collapsed into slumber.


	8. Australia

**8-Australia**

Even flying first class can't help much to make the long flight interesting, Harry decided after the fourth hour in the air. The excitement he had felt while arriving at the airport and going through the various steps leading to the flight, and during the actual take-off, was soon replaced by boredom. All he could see through the window was blue sky above and white clouds below, with occasional glimpses at the hazy land down below between the clouds. If it wasn't for the noise, he could just as well be suspended in a blue room with some white cotton on the Floor.

Harry tried all the entertainment programs offered on the video screen and in the earphones, but none could keep him interested for more than a short while. He hoped that the meal would keep him busy for a while, yet the food was so uninspired that he preferred to finish it quickly. He wondered how much worse could tourist class food be.

"Why don't you take a nap?" Hermione suggested.

"I'm not tired."

"We didn't sleep that much last night, you know..."

Harry felt his face heat at the memory.

"...so you could benefit from some sleep. It also helps pass the time in the air. I'm sure you'll feel fresher when we land."

The first class seats could be turned into comfortable beds, and the stewardess brought them pillows and blankets. Despite his objections, Harry fell asleep before Hermione.

When they finally landed in Darwin, Harry was glad to finally be able to walk freely and to breathe clean air.

Darwin, despite it being winter there at that time, was much warmer than he expected. Luckily, Hermione's shopping made sure that he had appropriate clothing. Both changed into clothes more suitable for the weather even before reaching the airport's exit. Once they settled into a hotel – Hermione chose a four-stars hotel and Harry, not knowing much about hotels, didn't insist on something better – it was time to start searching for her parents.

Hermione's map was kept updated with the data from the credit cards. It was easy to see that her parents had driven along one of the roads approaching Darwin, before turning southwards, now going to Alice Springs. They were currently about a two-days drive away from Darwin, although not driving at high speed, as if they were just enjoying the view.

"If we drive after them, it may turn a never-ending chase. We should anticipate where they're going and fly there, so we can find them as soon as they arrive," Hermione said.

Looking at the map, Harry noticed some junctions along the way. Hermione's parents could easily choose to leave the road at any such junction. "They seem to go to Alice Springs, yet they may choose to move in another direction."

"Not really. They will reach the Three Roads junction in about an hour. Once they choose a road there, they have no other choice for quite a while. We can wait and see."

Yet night fell before her parents reached that junction. Their dots stopped moving close to sunset. Hermione assumed that they either found a motel or made camp and would stay there until morning. As frustrating as it was, there was nothing for her to do. "They are too far for us to try driving there, hoping to reach them before morning, especially since we've just finished a very long flight. Neither of us even had any driving lessons," she reminded Harry. Although Gringotts gave them driving licenses, they didn't really know how to drive.

"What are we going to do then?" Harry asked.

Hermione's eyes glinted with some mischief. "I think it's about time you took me on a date, and if it goes well..." Her intentions were quite evident and Harry considered himself lucky that she really liked him, that she had chosen him and bonded with him in marriage, even if they hadn't been aware of that happening at the time.

There were several high-quality restaurants nearby, and the reception clerk was quite happy to recommend them and order the young couple a table. The nice weather allowed them to walk to the restaurant. When they returned, three hours later, Hermione was so pleased that she barely waited for Harry to close the door of their room before showing him how much she enjoyed it. An hour later, the sated couple drifted to sleep, still hugging.

"They're moving!" was the cry that awakened Harry. Hermione, still naked, was holding the map in her hand, looking excited.

"Of course they're moving," he grumbled. Hermione didn't seem to hear. He glanced at the clock on the night-stand. It was not yet seven. As much as he wanted to sleep some more, he knew this would not be possible. Hermione was clearly in a mood to find her parents and not in the mood to cuddle in bed. Groaning a bit, he moved out of bed and towards the bathroom.

"Set the water right, I'll join you for a quick shower in a moment," Hermione told him, her eyes still glued to the map. True to her words, she joined him at the shower as soon as he adjusted the water. It wasn't very quick, though. Both were still highly aroused, and the casual touches soon turned into full lovemaking. Each reached their peak twice before they let the water calm them down. Hermione quickly put on a bathrobe and hurried to check her map again. Harry finished his morning ritual first. When he came out of the bathroom, Hermione was already wearing jeans and a loose shirt, looking like an innocent teenager.

"The way you look, nobody will believe you are a married woman," Harry noted with a smile.

She frowned. "Why do you think so?"

"You look so fresh and so innocent as if you just started high-school, not at all like a married woman expecting her first child."

This made her smile. "It doesn't matter, as long as we both remember we are married. Now, my dear husband, it looks like my parents only drove a short way and stopped for breakfast. I believe we should also take our breakfast now."

She folded the map and tucked it in her handbag and then Harry took her hand in his as they went to the dining room.

Hermione couldn't check her map while at breakfast, but she checked it as soon as they were back in their room. "They passed the junction! They're going to Alice Springs! Let's fly there as soon as we can!"

Harry smiled internally. Hermione was not acting like her normal self – she was probably more like a little girl, eager to meet her parents again. He just dialled to the reception desk and asked about flights to Alice Springs.

"There's a flight in two hours – it may be too early for us to catch. There's another flight in the early afternoon, leaving us time enough to repack and then formulate a plan before even boarding. I asked for two places in that flight," he informed Hermione a short while later.

She lifted her eyes off the map. "That should work just fine. We may need to anticipate their moves and see how we can meet them, though. We may do this at the airport, while waiting for our flight."

Yet they had no real plan even after they checked-in at the hotel in Alice Springs. Hermione felt frustrated. "They'll arrive here tomorrow, or just pass here, and I can't find any way to intercept them, so I can restore their memories and then introduce you. I can't lose them again, Harry. I just can't! What shall we do?"

It was not like Hermione not to have a plan. Harry knew she must be terribly frustrated, yet he wasn't the one who could help her plan. He had always relied on her to do his planning. Unable to think of anything else, he asked, "Can't the house elves help us?"

Hermione gave it some consideration. "I really don't know. I'm not sure we're not too far away for them to respond to us, and even if they do – how can they help us?"

"Let's try. We'll lose nothing by it," Harry suggested. He then called, "Twinkle!"

They thought it didn't work, as they got no response after two minutes. "Maybe we're too far..." Hermione started.

"No place on Earth is too far for a house elf to reach his master," Twinkle said, appearing in front of them. "It only takes longer to travel such distances. Now, how can I help you?"

Harry waved his hand, inviting Twinkle to sit on the bed, at their side, and join the conversation. "You see, we need to find a way to meet Hermione's parents and then keep them long enough in one place to restore their memories, yet we don't know how to do it. I wonder if you may have an idea to help us."

Twinkle creased his brow, thinking for a few seconds, and then smiled brightly. "I may have just what you need. Where are her parents now?"

Hermione brought the map, where the dots stopped moving shortly after nightfall. "They are following this road at a leisurely speed. If they don't turn west before arriving here, which I doubt they would, having initially come from that part of the continent, then they will arrive at Alice Springs about noon tomorrow, yet they may decide to just pass through, or go into one of the other streets, looking for a cheaper hotel or whatever else they may have in mind. Even if they stay on the main road, they may go to another hotel. We can see where they go to, but how can we make them accept our company and let me restore their memories?"

"I'll make sure they check into this hotel," Twinkle reassured her. "Now, if you allow me, I have some preparations to do."

Both youngsters smiled at him, and the house elf just vanished silently.

With nothing better to do, Harry took Hermione to a nearby restaurant, where he made sure to pamper her as if he was just dating her and not already married. He wasn't really sure about the right things to do, but he held the door open for her, helped her to her seat and ordered what she liked best, regardless of the price. The restaurant could not be considered very elegant nor of the highest quality, but Hermione enjoyed it tremendously, making Harry happy. She made him even happier once they were back in their hotel room. An hour later, two very sated teens fell asleep, still embracing each other in a tight hug.

It didn't help calm Hermione in the morning. "They are coming soon and we still have no plan!" she said, sounding panicky.

"We still need to have breakfast first, as they probably do. It will be easier to think with a fuller belly," Harry said, caressing her still flat tummy.

"Oh, you!" she huffed, yet accepted his idea.

Twinkle was waiting in their room when they returned from breakfast. "Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins have made a reservation at this hotel last night and got their confirmation message on their mobile phone. As a backup, in case they decide not to check in, their car is going to break down a few hundred feet after skipping the hotel's gate."

This made Hermione calm down, finally, but not for long. With the assurance of her parents staying at the hotel, she now had to think of the right way to approach them and perform the memory restoration charm. It was quite complex, requiring a long chant and some precise wand movements, certainly not something she could do in the hotel's lobby, in the presence of other people.

Twinkle had a suggestion for that too. "I've heard them talking about how many photographs they've taken since arriving in Australia and how nobody seems interested in them. They'd be delighted to show you their albums, I'm sure."

They still had a few hours of waiting before they could do anything and Hermione was in no mood to check the attractions that region had to offer. Harry thought that he knew how to distract her. A few innocent kisses, followed by less innocent snogging, put Hermione in the right mood. Harry didn't stop at that. He caressed every inch of her skin, making sure it was all exposed first. He then kissed her from head to toes just as diligently. Hermione became too aroused to let it continue. She dragged Harry to the right position and straddled him, making her intentions very clear.

Harry still managed to significantly prolong their lovemaking, bringing Hermione twice to her peak, before finally reaching his, giving her the third one.

Both had to rest a bit after their intense lovemaking, but young people recuperate quickly. Soon enough, Harry was caressing and kissing again. It was more leisurely this time, and Hermione had only one orgasm before they both reached the end, but it was just as good. Feeling completely at peace, Hermione drifted to sleep. Harry smiled, hugged her closer and joined her in slumber.


	9. Meeting

**9-Meeting**

They woke up to the sound of loud music. Harry looked around and found Twinkle standing at the mini music system of the room, evidently playing with the volume.

"What are you doing?" he asked, still half asleep.

"Trying to wake you up in time for you to meet the Wilkins."

This was enough to alert Hermione. "Are they here?"

Twinkle smiled. "Not yet. It will take them about half an hour, but you wouldn't like to be sleepy when you see them. Will you?"

"Of course not!" Hermione finally noticed that she was stark naked and showing signs of her activity before falling asleep. She blushed furiously, but didn't try to cover herself. A house elf was not a human being, she rationalized in her mind. It didn't change her feelings, though.

Twinkle noticed her discomfort. "I'll go make sure they come here. You should shower before going out of your room," he said and vanished.

Harry only smiled.

"What's so funny?!" she demanded.

"I expect Twinkle and our other house elves to see us naked quite a lot. Why should it bother you?"

"It didn't! I only felt so exposed..."

Harry laughed. "You shouldn't feel that way. You look marvellous! You should feel proud when anybody looks at you as you are the most perfect woman alive!"

This seemed to have the expected effect. Hermione relaxed visibly, despite blushing at the compliment. "Thank you, Harry. I'm glad you feel that way about me."

She only pecked his cheek with her lips before leaving the bed, fearing that any more would turn into another session of lovemaking, and she currently had other, more important plans. Harry followed her with his eyes, feeling elated at having this magnificent woman as his wife. He then waited for her to finish her shower and took his own. By the time he came out, wrapped in a towel, Hermione was already dressed.

"I think we should 'casually' be at the lobby when they arrive. There's a postcard stand there, and a comment about the images on them may attract my parents' attention and open the way to some further discussion."

"That sounds like a good plan to me. Are you sure about the spells you need to use?"

Hermione nodded. "I have them written, and I've already rehearsed them several times a day in my mind. It should go fine, once I get the chance to cast them."

They didn't have to wait too long. The Wilkins couple checked in less than half an hour later. They looked tired and a little troubled. Harry, who was watching Hermione attentively, noticed that her eyes filled with tears when she saw them. She turned hurriedly to the postcards and wiped her eyes before acting as planned.

"It's such a pity that our camera broke down as soon as we arrived here. We won't have any pictures to show at home, and these postcards are not even close to what we saw," she said.

"Maybe we can find a cheap camera to use for now," Harry replied. "I don't want to trust somebody unknown with the expensive camera, and the postcards are not too bad."

Mrs. Wilkins seemed to have noticed them. She approached the young couple. "Are you British?"

"Yes, we are. We came here for our honeymoon, but the camera broke the first day we came. You're British too, aren't you?" Hermione replied.

"You couldn't mistake the accent, I believe. I sometimes find the local accent unintelligible. It's quite refreshing to hear the language as if at home," her mother replied.

"Where are you from?" Harry asked.

The woman seemed to cringe. "It's weird, but we seem to have forgotten almost everything about our life in England since we came here. I know it was somewhere in Kent, not too far from London." Her gaze turned to Hermione. "You also seem to remind me of someone I knew, yet I can't remember anything about her." She then changed her mood, as if deciding to leave the problems behind. "We've been almost everywhere in this continent and we took many photographs. I'm sure my husband won't mind to give you a few from places you've visited."

"Oh, we'll be very thankful for that. When can we see them?" Hermione sounded almost too eager.

Mr. Wilkins had already finished the procedure at the reception desk and was looking around for his wife. She waved him to come closer. "Aren't they a cute couple?" she asked him. "They came for their honeymoon in Australia and their camera ceased functioning. I thought we could give them a few of our photos and have new ones printed from the negatives."

He seemed more concerned about something else. "Of course, dear, but we should first settle in our room and I also want to have the car checked. The motor seemed to cough a few times in the last hour and I don't want it to quit in the middle of the desert." He then turned to the youngsters. "We're going to stay in room twelve. I'll be busy with the car until dinner, but you can come and join us for dinner at... half past six, I think."

"Thank you. We'll knock on your door at half past six," Hermione said, and the elder couple departed immediately.

Harry could sense that Hermione was too excited to do anything, and even trying to lead her to bed would not be right. Another idea popped into his mind. "Why don't you teach me the spells you're going to use? It will help you feel more confident when the time comes, and I may be even able to help you, once I learn them."

Hermione smiled nervously. "I could do that. There's nothing else I can do until after dinner, so it seems."

They knocked on the Wilkins' door just on time. Mrs. Wilkins opened the door while her husband was still busy with his tie. Harry felt glad to have worn one too, as Hermione insisted.

They visited another restaurant for dinner. It was about the same as the one they had visited a day earlier, with practically the same choice and same quality, only a slightly more elegant décor. Harry enjoyed the meal, as did Mr. Wilkins, but both women seemed a bit troubled. It all came out on their way back to the hotel.

"You look extremely familiar to me," Mrs. Wilkins said. "I probably met somebody who looked similar to you before, but I can't remember anything about it. Actually, we may need to see a doctor about our memory loss. I hope it's not some kind of exotic illness that we caught here."

"I don't think you need to worry. I'm sure you'll regain your memory soon enough," Hermione told her.

"It's still a wonder, though. We can both remember our lives since early childhood until we graduated college and even a bit after that. We also remember everything since we arrived at the airport to fly to Australia, but everything in-between – almost twenty years worth of memories – seems to have disappeared. We've probably worked as dentists, since that's what we studied, but we can remember nothing of that, although our credit cards are well accepted everywhere. We can't even remember the house we've lived in! Isn't that strange?"

"Maybe somebody made you forget those specific years for some reason?" Harry tried.

"That would certainly be magic, since nothing we know of works that way, yet magic only exists in fantasy, not in real life."

"Are you sure about it?" he insisted.

Mr. Wilkins decided to answer that. "Actually, we're not too sure. We seem to remember something about magic being real, but it's so vague that we can't be sure at all."

By this time they were already back at the hotel. Mr. Wilkins opened the door and both couples entered the Wilkins' room. While her husband rummaged through their suitcases to fetch their albums, Mrs. Wilkins looked pensively at Hermione. "I'm sure I've seen you before. You were probably much younger, though. I feel like we were very close, but I'm not sure how."

"You also look very familiar to me. We may eventually find the connection, if we keep talking," Hermione said, feeling the butterflies in her stomach.

Mr. Wilkins returned with three thick albums. "Where have you visited until now?"

"We've only stayed a few days in Darwin and then flew here," Harry replied.

"You missed quite a lot, not having driven the whole way. Why did you choose to fly?"

Harry smiled apologetically. "We've just got our license and we dare not drive such long distances. Besides, we only have a short time to visit, as we need to go back soon."

"Well, that's understandable." He sat at his wife's side and opened the album, looking for the appropriate images. As their heads came closer, Harry quickly cast a wandless sleeping charm, making their heads fall on the albums. He then used another spell to move them even closer, making their heads touch each other.

Hermione took over. She cast a long and complicated spell, using intricate wand movements. Her parents' heads seemed to become covered by a mist that soon turned into a kind of silvery mesh, and that turned thicker and thicker, until they seemed to be covered by a sheer silver fabric. Just when the spell finished, the mesh started glowing and then disappeared in a bright flash. Hermione sat down and looked at Harry. "Will they be alright with what I did?" she asked him worriedly.

"They may be angry, at first, but once they understand why you acted the way you did, I think they will accept it." He really hoped it would not be too stressful and end well. He knew that he lacked too much knowledge to judge the situation well enough.

"Wake them up, please..."

Harry said the spell that released the magically induced slumber. It didn't make the older couple wake up at once, though. The woman seemed to stir up first. She opened her eyes slowly, lifted her head and looked around. Her eyes found Hermione and seemed surprised. "Hermione! What are you doing here?" And then, as if it suddenly occurred to her, "Are you really on your honeymoon?"

Hermione got her eyes wet. She tried to speak, but seemed unable to utter a word. Her mother looked worriedly at her and then walked around the table and hugged her to her bosom. "What is it, dear? Are you feeling well?"

Hermione sobbed a short while before coming to her senses. She took a handkerchief which Harry handed her and wiped her eyes. "Mom, I was so worried I might lose you! I could stand almost anything, but I would have felt utterly destroyed if anything happened to you."

This brought a new wave of sobbing, while her mother continued hugging her comfortingly. By then, her father woke up too and was looking at the scene with evident confusion. He then noticed Harry. He looked as if he was trying to remember when he had first seen the young man, confused by conflicting memories.

Harry took the initiative. "Mr. Granger, I believe we owe you some explanations."

It took the man a moment to think of it, before he replied tiredly, "I think you really do, Harry, but I would first like to know if you're really on your honeymoon."

Harry wasn't sure about the way he should reply. Hermione beat him to that. "We are and we aren't. I think it would be better if I tell you everything my way, starting with a few days before you went on your voyage." This seemed to be as much as she was able to say at the moment, since her eyes filled with tears again.

Harry stood up. "I think that a cup of calming tea would be just right now. Do you mind if I go and bring tea from the lobby?"

Hermione smiled thankfully at him and the elder couple nodded their agreement. When leaving the room, Harry noticed that Hermione was cuddling again into her mother's embrace, unable to really talk much.

He returned a few minutes later, carrying a tray with four cups of tea along with some sugar and milk. He found that both parents were now hugging Hermione, all three quite teary. He placed the tray on the table. "Would you like me to serve?" he asked.

This seemed to finally have some effect. Hermione straightened up and declared, "I'll do it."


	10. Telling

**10-Telling**

Soon enough, each was holding a cup of tea, sipping slowly and looking at the others. Hermione calmed down enough to be content with just holding her mother's hand. Eventually, she put down the cup and looked expectantly at both her parents. "Mom, Dad, I need to apologize for acting without asking for your opinion nor your permission. That summer, after my sixth year at Hogwarts, it became very clear that we were going into a civil war in wizarding Britain. Knowing how our enemy acted, I was sure that you'd become a target, because I was a very close friend with Harry, whom the Dark Lord sought to kill. We were both considered the leaders of the Light faction that fought against the Dark Lord. Just as I said before, I couldn't allow that to happen. I knew I was risking my life, and I thought that it was worth fighting to stop evil, the way you've always told me, but I couldn't allow that fight to endanger you."

She took a deep breath, as if preparing for what was coming next. "I knew that if I told you all I knew, you would insist on taking me away from danger, just as I wanted to put you away from danger. I couldn't allow that either. I then decided to just make you go away and forget that I ever existed, so that you won't suffer in case I died in the war. This meant erasing almost two decades worth of memories. I tried to put some fake memories to replace them, but I couldn't do a good job at that, considering my hurried schedule. I made all the preparations, ordering the flight tickets, creating your new identities with the new credit cards and bank accounts, and once I was ready, I removed, or actually blocked, all the memories concerned with me or with magic and put in the fake ones, also adding an urge to travel, so you won't stay in one place long enough to attract undue attention. I'm sorry that I did this without your consent, but I felt I could not have done it any other way."

Her father looked hurt, for a moment. He then nodded slowly. "You should have trusted us more than that, but I can understand why you acted the way you did. I don't think that I would have acted differently in your place."

Her mother didn't speak. She just hugged Hermione's hand to her heart and tried not to weep.

"It turns out that I acted just on time. Once I left home, I went to stay with the Weasley family, who were getting ready to wed Bill – their eldest, with Fleur, whom he got to love when they both worked for Gringotts. The Dark Lord stroke on the night of the wedding, taking over the ministry and forcing Harry, along with me and Ron, to hide. We wandered for several months, slowly finding what we needed to get better chances for victory, but even when the final battle came, we weren't sure of the outcome. We lost too many good people, and I almost lost Harry as well, but at the final showdown, Voldemort fell, killed by his own curse, as the wand he was using was plucked out of his hand by Harry's spell."

Her parents seemed very concerned, bursting with unasked questions, but refraining from interfering. Harry felt relieved to see them that way. He hoped they won't become angry when learning of the unexpected marriage.

"I started planning to come and find you as soon as the funerals were over. It took us a few days to get everything ready, and then we came to Australia to look for you. I'm glad we managed to find you relatively quickly."

As both youngsters seemed to be in good health and not suffering any injury, the details of the war didn't seem too important, yet her parents couldn't ignore the change from 'I' to 'We' – it was just too abrupt.

"Care to tell us when you became a couple? We know you had some feelings for Harry for many years, but they stayed mostly platonic. When did that change?" her father asked.

Hermione blushed. "We didn't know that at the time. We went to visit his parents' graves, disguised as an old couple. While there, I felt like I wanted to always be a couple with Harry. Evidently, he had similar thoughts, making us magically wed. We only learned about it after the war, when someone told us that we were already married, despite never having had a wedding, never having even said anything that sounded close to wedding vows. We're a couple since then."

Her mother looked pensive. "I'm sure that there's a lot more to tell, but I think we all had enough excitement for one day. Now, after you restored our memories, what do you expect to happen?"

Hermione looked a bit worried. Harry grabbed her hand and pressed it reassuringly. She smiled thankfully at him and turned back to her parents. "I don't really know. I probably expected you to come back home and resume your life, just the way you lived before the war. Now I'm not sure if you'd even want it, although I think I'd still love it." She sighed and then continued. "You have your memories back. It's up to you to decide what to do next. We shall help you and support whatever decision you take."

"What do you mean by that? Normally, the parents are the ones helping and supporting their children, not the other way round," her father said.

Hermione smiled at that. "True, but as we found out, Harry has inherited so much, that we can easily give you any financial help you would need, no matter what you decide to do."

This only seemed to confuse her parents. Her mother finally spoke. "It has been a very eventful day. I believe we should all retire for the night and let our minds process the information. You're staying at his hotel, aren't you?"

"We're in room fifteen, three doors down the corridor," Harry said.

"Fine we shall knock on your door on our way to breakfast. Now, don't I get a hug from my son-in-law?"

Harry felt a bit weird. He knew that the elegant woman was his mother-in-law and that she would probably stay in his life for many years to come, yet she was still a stranger, a person he had only met a few hours earlier. Luckily, she was also a lot like Hermione. Once he came closer to her, she seemed a stranger no more. She gave him a similar feeling to the one he got when near her daughter – a soothing effect, mingled with some familiarity. Her hug was also just as tight as Hermione's. Luckily, her scent was different enough to not confuse his body and make it react improperly.

He then got a short, manly hug from her father. Both hugged Hermione similarly and then parted for the night.

Twinkle was waiting in their room. "May I assume it went well?" he asked.

"Much better than I dared hope," Hermione responded. "Have you done anything to help me?"

"Not much, really. I just made sure they would be eager to find an explanation for their memory gaps. This probably helped you."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Twinkle. I really appreciate your help." She yawned widely and looked apologetic. "I think I'd rather go to bed now. Do you have where to sleep?"

Twinkle seemed amused by her question. "I can make myself comfortable anywhere. I can even go home, but I'd rather stay close, in case you need me."

"Well, goodnight then," Harry said, taking Hermione's arm. Twinkle silently faded away.

Despite being tired, Hermione was too excited to fall asleep. After noticing how she turned in bed, unable to get any rest, Harry thought that the method that had worked so well in the morning could also prove beneficial this time. He started hugging Hermione and kissing her. Hermione responded a bit reluctantly, at first, but soon enough got into the mood and gave just as much as she received, eventually turning it into very intense lovemaking, converting her anxiety and her insecurities into very pleasurable actions. Once sated, they cuddled into each other and fell promptly asleep.

Twinkle appeared near their bed a moment later. He smiled at the sight of the naked couple and covered the two with the large blanket, knowing that the nights could turn quite cold. He then faded silently again.

The Grangers knocked on their door even before they were ready. Harry opened the door, wearing only his trousers, while Hermione rushed into the bathroom to get ready there.

"I hope you don't mind waiting a bit. Hermione had difficulties falling asleep after such an eventful day," he apologized.

"I feared I'd also have difficulties, but I think I fell asleep as soon as I got into bed," Mrs. Granger said.

"I've never had problems falling asleep even when I served in the army," her husband noted. "I still thought a bit of what you told us, both before falling asleep and after waking up. I feel like there are still some gaps in your story. I'd like them to be filled before we decide how to proceed."

"Of course, Mr. Granger. That's understandable," Harry agreed politely.

The man smiled. "As my son-in-law, you may freely call me Dave or even Dad, if you like."

This made Harry feel his eyes getting a bit wet. He only nodded, suddenly feeling unable to speak. Dave didn't seem to mind. "Anyway, I asked about breakfast before we came here. What we can get at this hotel is just a minimal breakfast. They said we could get a much better one at that small restaurant, a block down the road. We passed there on our way back from dinner, last night."

Harry nodded his agreement.

Hermione came out of the bathroom a moment later. She was dressed lightly, as appropriate for the expected weather, clad in jeans and t-shirt. Harry thought she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. She kissed her father's cheek lightly and then her mother's, yet her mother insisted on also hugging her.

Harry excused himself and went to the bathroom to get ready. By the time he returned, Hermione and her mother were chuckling, while Dave looked amused.

It was still cool enough for a walk, so they didn't bother with the car. They found the restaurant and ordered breakfast. The young waitress seemed nervous. "It's my first day at work," she apologized. "I hope to make a good impression."

Breakfast went quite well. The waitress, despite being new, did her job efficiently and it was all very pleasant. A nearby table was vacated and another waitress cleared the table, finding some spoiled coffee near it. She asked for the cleaner to take care of it.

They finished their meal soon after that, yet Mr. Granger asked for some more coffee. "No problem, sir. I'll bring it in a moment."

The waitress came, carrying a full jug of black coffee, as requested. The cleaner, a relatively old man, moved back and bumped into her, making the jug fall and break, some of the coffee splashing on Mrs. Granger's dress.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I'll bring you another coffee and some wet towels to clean your garment," the waitress said.

They were soon approached by the shift manager. "Are you alright? I'm sorry for the incident. Ever since this man started working here, we have a lot of problems. I actually don't know why they still keep him, considering all the complaints. Your breakfast will be on the house, of course."

"Who is this man?" Harry asked.

"Some Mr. Nogood. I really don't know why he was accepted. He doesn't seem to do anything right."

The name triggered something in Harry's mind, although he wasn't sure what. "May we speak with him?"

The shift manager waved his hand as if saying, 'Be my guests, although I don't believe any good will come out of it.'

He then turned to the cleaner and called him closer. "Somebody here wants to talk with you. Try to be polite."

The man had long, unkempt white hair, and his blue eyes seemed almost lifeless, yet Harry thought he knew him. He tried a shot in the dark. "Mr. Lovegood, your daughter is waiting for you."

The man shuddered involuntarily. "My name is Nogood and I have no daughter. She's dead, murdered, gone..."

Harry tried again. "Every person makes mistakes, some even great mistakes, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are no good."

"A father too weak to fight for the life of his daughter is no good," the old man insisted.

"But your daughter is alive and looking for you. At first, she feared you were dead, but then she saw something, a vision, that made her believe otherwise. I can now see that Luna was right."

"Luna is dead, so they told me."

"No sir, Luna is alive. She was in captivity, probably tortured too, but she was freed and is now looking for her father so he can rejoice with her children."

"She's a mother?" Some disbelief and hope mixed in his voice.

"Not yet. She's expecting and she'd really like to have you at her side. She wants to restore her home and bring you back there."

A glimpse of hope appeared for a moment in his eyes and disappeared again. "No. That can't be true. They said she was dead. They brought me her necklace." Harry thought that the man didn't dare hope anymore.

"Xenophilius Lovegood, look at me! Do you recognize me?" Harry lifted the hair from his forehead, revealing his scar.

"Harry Potter!" the man mumbled in fear, taking a step back.

"Yes, that's me, and I'm not angry at you. I understand why you acted the way you did, although I don't think it was wise. You wanted to save your daughter. Now that daughter wants you back."

The man seemed torn between wanting to believe and fearing it was all just a cruel prank. He seemed less stable than Harry had ever seen him, and that was not good. Harry put his hand in his pocket, holding his wand ready. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Hermione doing the same.


	11. Xeno

**11-Xeno**

Mr. Lovegood seemed undecided. He moved his hand to his pocket and then took it away. He then turned around and started running away. Harry sent a mild stunner at him while Hermione cast a cushioning charm to prevent any injuries from the fall. Harry then looked around and felt relieved that there was nobody close enough to see the faint traces of the spells. For those sitting a bit farther, it looked like the man just tripped and lost his conscience.

The waitress came, carrying a fresh jug of coffee. "I think this man needs to be checked by a doctor. He isn't well. Can you call an ambulance?" Harry asked.

"Sure, sir. Shouldn't we move him somewhere else?"

"No, it's safer not to move him, in case he broke something while falling. The ambulance team will know better how to handle him."

As the waitress left, Dave looked at Harry. "You know him?"

"Yes. He and his daughter have suffered a lot during the war. It's about time to help them reunite, especially since they have no other family."

"What will you do, then?"

"One of us will go with him. Hopefully, we can help him, or at least keep him safe until Luna comes for him."

"I think you should go with him to the hospital. I'll ask Twinkle to bring Luna and then we'll come to join you at the hospital," Hermione suggested.

"Alright. How long do you plan to stay here?" The question was addressed at the older couple.

Jean shrugged. "We've seen more of Australia than we had ever thought we would. I think we're ready to go home and resume our lives, but as long as we can stay with Hermione, there's no rush."

Harry smiled. "She really missed you badly. Can you bring her and Luna to the hospital, once Luna arrives? I'm going to stay near her father."

Dave nodded. "Go ahead, son, and do what you feel you should."

Harry felt his eyes getting moist and turned away, mumbling his thanks.

The ambulance arrived soon. Mr. Lovegood was put on a stretcher, after being checked for damage. Dave asked for the address of the hospital before they parted. Harry joined the ambulance and cast the counter curse furtively, yet Xeno only seemed to sleep, occasionally mumbling a few syllables.

Hermione was very anxious to come back to the hotel, walking as fast as she dared. Her parents were able to keep the pace, though, although it tired them. Hermione led them to the room she and Harry were staying at, and then called, "Twinkle!"

Her parents were surprised when they saw the small creature appear, but said nothing.

"Twinkle, we found Luna's father, but he's not well. Can you bring her here?"

"Of course, Lady Hermione, but it may take up to half an hour, as she may not be ready to travel and we must take precautions, in her condition."

"Please do it now!" Hermione looked like she had some more to say, but Twinkle disappeared at once.

"What was that?!" Jean asked.

"That's a house-elf. These are magical creatures that must bond to wizards or witches to stay alive. We consider them family."

"Do they get paid?" Jean insisted.

Hermione smiled, knowing just too well how she had misunderstood the situation. "No. Like family, they do their part and get what they need. They can buy or acquire anything they want, as long as the family can afford it. While some families treat them like slaves, most treat them decently and gain their loyalty and their love."

Jean still seemed not convinced.

"You know, I used to be just like you are now, when I was younger. Only lately did I learn that it was a mistake. Wouldn't you be offended if Dad paid you for keeping the house and making meals? That's how House-Elves feel about it."

"How do you know?"

Hermione smiled again. "During the last year, I had several conversations with house elves, not even knowing I'd end up owning some, and they explained it to me, showing me how wrong I was when I tried to free them. If their bond is broken, house-elves lose their magic and die."

Both her parents looked appalled.

They all sat down and Hermione told them some more of her and Harry's adventures. They were so immersed in the stories, that they barely noticed when Twinkle appeared with a young blonde.

"Hermione, why did you call me here? Twinkle seemed unable to explain this."

Hermione looked at Luna and smiled. The blonde was wearing jeans and t-shirt, looking so young and fresh. "Please sit down. I have some good news for you."

Luna sat anxiously on the edge of a chair, looking expectant.

"As you can see, we've found my parents. This morning, at breakfast, we noticed an old man who seemed familiar. He called himself Nogood."

"Dad?!"

"Yes, Luna, but he seems to have suffered a lot and may have lost some of his mind. He wanted to run away and we had to stun him. I cushioned the fall, so he didn't get hurt. We then had him taken to the hospital, where Harry is staying with him. Now, before we go see him, I need you to think hard and find a way to make him believe it is really you and you're alive. He thinks you're dead and blames himself for that."

Luna's eagerness seemed to vanish, replaced by some apprehension. "He had taken Mom's death very hard. I think he had lost some of his mind at that time. Now... Well, I'll try to do my best. My children will have their grandfather!"

"Are you a mother?" Jean asked. The girl seemed too young for that.

"Oh, not yet. My twins are expected in some eight months, if I'm not mistaken."

"You're pregnant?"

"Of course, and so is Hermione. Didn't she tell you?"

Hermione started changing colours as both her parents looked questioningly at her. "It's very fresh, and I had no time to tell you yet..."

Jean seemed very excited by the news. Dave frowned a bit. "Are there other things you skipped over, young lady?"

This made Hermione smile. "Quite a few, Dad. You can't expect me to tell you everything about a whole year in a few hours, can you?"

He smiled at her. "Of course, dear. Now, shall we go to the hospital?"

Luna would have been very excited at using any Muggle transportation, as it was still a novelty to her, but she was too preoccupied with thoughts about her father to pay it or her environment any attention. It was only a few minutes drive to the local hospital and they were soon directed to the trauma section, finding Harry sitting near the door.

"They wouldn't let me stay with him, since I'm not his relative. I was still informed that he suffered no physical injury but seems both physically and mentally exhausted. They want to keep him under surveillance for another day, at least," Harry informed them.

"Will they let me in? I'm his daughter," Luna asked anxiously.

Harry wasn't sure about it. "He claims to have no daughter, that his daughter is dead. I don't know what they would say."

"I think you should try," Jean told her. "I'll go with you, if you want me to."

Luna's insecurity became very evident. "Yes, Please..."

They went in and approached the nurse station. Jean came out a short while later. "They let her see her father, hoping this can help him. They didn't let me in, as expected."

The four sat waiting. Having nothing else to do, the Grangers started telling about their trip, mainly funny incident, to relieve the long waiting. They knew that they couldn't talk about anything concerning Magic.

Half an hour later, a tall blond man with a stern, but kind face came there. He first asked the nurses about Mr. Nogood and then sat down on a bench, not too far from the group. A moment later he asked, "Aren't you the ones who took care of my employee?"

Harry turned to answer, and he saw the man gasp in surprise. He still answered, "Yes, we are."

"Have you met him before?" the man asked.

"I think so. He doesn't seem to be in his right mind, so I can't be sure."

"I believe you can, Mr. Potter. He left Britain in a hurry a few months ago, believing his only daughter was dead. Do you know anything about that?"

Harry was confused and Hermione seemed alarmed. She made sure to hold her wand ready, but hidden. The man smiled sadly. "You see, I came here under similar circumstances about twenty years ago, but I kept reading the British press concerning that community. You, Mr. Potter, starred in it for several years, along with your companion, Miss Granger."

"I don't think this is the right place to talk about such things," Harry said firmly.

"Of course not, although the Australian authorities are more lax about this. Care to join me for lunch in that same restaurant? We can use a private dining room for our discussions."

Harry glanced at Hermione. She nodded slightly. "Fine, if you want that. His daughter is now with him, though. Let's wait and see what she has to tell."

"She's alive? That's great! It can really make a difference for him." The man seemed to be genuinely pleased. He moved to sit closer and listened to the Granger stories, saying nothing.

Luna came out about an hour later. "He's so frustrating! He refuses to believe I'm alive, talking to me as if I'm a ghost or an apparition. I had to slap his face to make him believe me. The nurses sent me out immediately, but at least he seemed to finally accept me."

"Don't blame him, dear. He had survived some great sufferings, and his judgment may have suffered too. Give him your love and it will help him more than any medicine," the tall man said.

"What do you know?" she asked, sounding more focused than Harry had ever noticed her to be.

"Not much, but this is not the right place to tell even that. Why don't you and your friends join me for lunch at my restaurant?"

Luna glanced at Hermione, who smiled at her. "Alright. They won't let anybody in for the next four hours, at least, so we don't have to stay here."

They all went out. The tall man mounted his bicycles to reach the restaurant. The others crammed into Dave's car. The Grangers were surprised to notice that Luna cuddled into Harry just like Hermione, who didn't seem upset about it.

At the restaurant, they were directed to a side room, where the tall man was waiting for them. The room had a round table. Large enough for ten or more diners, and was more richly decorated than the rest of that establishment. The waiters were still finishing setting up the table.

"Please sit down and make your order – everything is on the house. We shall handle the introductions later."

Once they all gave the waiters their orders, the tall man closed the door and started the introductions. "I'm known around here as John Smith. You can guess, this is not my original name, but it should do for now." He looked expectantly at Harry.

"I'm Harry Potter and this is my wife, Hermione, and her parents – Jean and Dave Granger, although they are now using different names. The young lady at my other side is our dear friend Luna Lovegood."

John smiled at Luna. "I knew your parents, dear, way before they got married, although I couldn't be as close a friend as I liked to. I don't think that your father recognized me, when he wandered in here, wearing rags and looking quite disoriented. I gave him a job, hoping it would help him heal, although I didn't know what happened to him. Being current with the news, I had my suspicions, of course, and his incoherent mumbles about losing his daughter seemed to confirm them."

He now turned to Harry and Hermione. "I've been reading about you and your wife for several years already. You seemed to be destined to fight the evil ones. I suspect that made you quite a 'trouble magnet' during your studies."

Harry chuckled humourlessly at that. John continued. "With the troubles in Britain mostly over, I hoped Xeno will be able to recuperate, yet he didn't seem to stay current with the news. He seemed barely in this world. Then this morning, I was informed of the incident. They said he was talking with a client with a peculiar scar on his forehead and then turned around a fell unconscious. You can understand that I was intrigued."

"Well, thank you for caring for my father. He had really lost so much! I hope we can bring him back and make him enjoy life from now on," Luna said.

"Care to tell us a bit more about yourself?" Harry asked.


	12. John

**12-John**

John smiled and nodded approvingly. "You can put your wand down, as I have no wand on me. I've given up Magic when I came here and I rarely regret it." Harry blushed and took his hand out of his pocket while John continued. "I was born in a very conservative pure-blood family, yet I could never accept the bigotry around me. They forgave me, while I was still a child, and tried to teach me 'the right ways.' Then, when my brother was born, they became less tolerant. I had to keep my views to myself. It was only slightly better at school. Being a Slytherin, most others looked at me suspiciously. I had very few friends, and I had to keep our friendship mostly secret. Xeno was one of those 'secret friends' of mine."

John grimaced, as if the following memories were quite painful. "Shortly after I finished my studies, I met a woman who captured my heart. I didn't mind that she was a muggle, but when my family found out, they disinherited me and threw me out of the family. My brother, Lucious, became the official heir. Those were dark times. Voldemort was rising, targeting all 'blood traitors' – like me. With no family to support me and with the mortal danger looming above our heads, we left Britain, looking for a safer place. We thought that Australia was as safe as could be, at the time. Its magical population was well scattered and had no notion of blood purity. I didn't want to trust that, though. I gave up the magical world and settled here with my wife, gaining our living by diligent work. We then had a chance to buy this place, and we turned it into a restaurant, giving us a nice income and also helping others. We were happy for a while and were even expecting to enlarge the family. We were then involved in a car accident. Unfortunately, neither my wife nor the child in her womb survived. I stayed in the hospital for several months before I was considered fit enough to leave. I then learned that the accident happened probably due to some sabotage. The traces led to England, probably to my dear brother, who tried to make sure that I wouldn't sully the family records."

He sighed heavily. "Well, it took me five years to regain my life. Later, I learned that Voldemort returned and my dear brother joined him, not unexpectedly. I understand that he has been sentenced to life in Azkaban, once the Dark Lord was defeated, but I fear his son is no better than him."

By now, Harry felt quite sure about who this man was. "Draco tried to protect me, as unexpected as it was, shortly before the battle, and Narcissa lied to Voldemort, saving my life. I gave this testimony to the Aurors, shortly after the battle. This probably saved both from prison."

"So, do you think that the Malfoy line has some chance to redeem itself?" John was finally using that name.

Harry shrugged. "Let's hope so."

Lunch was served and the conversation turned into more mundane subjects. Luna wanted to hear all about her father, while Hermione and her parents were catching up on their own family. Harry only listened, trying to hear the most of both conversations.

By the time they finished lunch and returned to the hospital, it was almost three hours later. A passing nurse noticed Luna and approached her. "Your father wants to see you. Try not to use physical violence on him, although this seemed to help him a bit."

Luna smiled sadly. "When I was a little child, I sometimes had crying fits, that no words could stop. Dad slapped me once and said, 'Sometimes a single slap can do what thousands of words can't.' I only tried to show him I still remember that lesson."

The nurse smiled back. "Well, since it seemed to work, I suggest you go to him and talk with him. It may also help if he eats better. We shall make sure he sleeps well during the night."

Luna eagerly followed the nurse. The others were unsure about what to do. A few minutes later, John spoke. "It looks like you have some other urgent matters to deal with. I'll wait here and help Luna, if she needs anything. I'll bring her back to the restaurant for dinner, and I hope you will also join me there. There's still a lot I'd like to hear, if you don't mind."

The others accepted his idea. They returned to the hotel and all sat in the Potter room, where Hermione tried to tell as much as she could of the time since she sent them away. Her parents listened attentively and had many questions. When dinner time approached, she had merely covered only a few months worth of the events. Her mother then raised another question. "It may be out of sequence, but I could not ignore the way Luna cuddled to Harry in the car, not too differently than you did, dear, and you didn't seem to be bothered by it. Care to explain?"

Harry suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Hermione only smiled understandingly. "Well, it does need some explanation. You see, after the last battle, many girls and women wanted to shag the hero, the man who conquered. Harry was too distraught by the loss of life and the funerals made it worse. He drank a lot each evening, just to dull the pain, and many of these girls were eager to help him forget the pain in other ways. Since Harry was too inebriated to handle this, I did it for him, allowing some to spend the night with him. At that time we didn't know that we were already magically wed. I made sure none of the girls would become pregnant as a result of this activity, except for three, who asked specifically for Harry to impregnate them, each for her own justifiable reasons. I knew Harry would have agreed, had he not been so drunk, so I allowed them in with no protection. He impregnated all three, and Luna is one of them."

Her mother frowned. "Where does it put you?"

Hermione shrugged. "It doesn't matter much. I could never expect Harry to be fully mine. I'm his wife and his love. The three others do not plan on marrying him, although that is possible in the magical world. He still intends to be a good father to all his children, and that probably means that we shall all share the same house, and I will probably have to also share Harry with them. I practically agreed to that by letting them all join us in the apartment we stayed in until we came here."

Her mother sighed. "Well, Luna seems nice enough. I only want you to be happy, you know."

Hermione smiled. "I'm happy, Mum. I thought it would take much longer to make Harry realize that I love him and to make him love me before we became a couple, married and had children, but now I'm glad that I no longer need to suffer the doubts and heartaches associated with that."

Her mother smiled. "So, when are you due?"

Hermione blushed. "In about eight months, I think. I've not seen a healer about that, yet."

"And the other three?"

"A few weeks earlier, I assume. Harry is going to have five children almost at once." Hermione chuckled happily. Harry paled. He had never thought of that before, but he suddenly realized that he'd be a father of five even before his nineteenth birthday. He had never thought of becoming a father so young, and it actually frightened him. Would he be able to give each child enough attention and love? Would he be able to raise his children the way he wanted? He wasn't sure he was adequate enough for the job.

He looked at Dave and Hermione. Dave seemed to have done a good job as a father, judging by his daughter. He turned to Dave. "Will you help me to become a good father? I have nobody else to help me learn this."

Dave smiled reassuringly. "I think you already are better than most. Just by asking to learn how to be a good father, you proved that you care and it's important to you. This will assure that you will become a good father, although there's no recipe for that. Just do what you feel is right for your child. The rest will come naturally." Seeing the imploring look on Harry's face he added, "You'll be always able to call me and get some advice, if you want one."

This seemed to relax Harry.

They met Luna that evening at the restaurant. She looked less stressed, almost back to normal. "Dad finally accepted that I'm his daughter and I'm alive. He hugged me and cried for me to forgive him for letting me down. The doctors say that he's going to be physically fine in a few days, but may need quite a few months at home, surrounded by love, before he would recuperate in other ways. Can we stay here until he's released from the hospital, please?"

Harry looked confused. "Where will you stay, though? We may take another room at the hotel for you, if you want."

"I thought I could join you two in your room," she said. Harry thought he saw a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"That would be extremely inappropriate," Hermione said. "While here, you can't share a room with us, or anybody else, for that matter. Just explaining your presence may prove difficult enough."

"Well, of course," Luna agreed. "I'll take another room, but I still hope to spend most of my time with you two, as long as that will cause no trouble. You presented me as a very close friend, didn't you?"

Harry smiled. "Sure, but since we're in a muggle area, we should act like respectable muggles and not attract any more attention than we already did."

Luna sighed. "Well, I can wait a few more days. You should know that the other two are not too patient either."

"Do you suggest we prolong our stay here, maybe take some trips with my parents before coming home?" Hermione's mischief was evident.

Luna stayed serious. "If you want some alone time with your husband, that's exactly what you should do. Once you return you'll both have many demands on your time."

"What do you mean?" Harry wondered.

"Isn't that obvious? As the defeater of the darkest dark lord ever, you've become the most influential wizard in Britain, maybe in the whole world. You'll have to become politically involved, if you want this victory to be meaningful, and that takes a lot of time, not to mention the four young women who need your attention." Luna sounded as sharp as any Ravenclaw.

Harry sighed. "Why can't they leave me alone?"

Luna rolled her eyes, reminding him of Hermione, when asked to explain the obvious. "Harry, if you keep to yourself and let others handle the wizarding world, you'll have the rich pureblood families control everything, like before. They'll put another useless and corrupt minister, like Fudge, to cover up their misdeeds and continue discrimination against anybody who's not part of their group. Is that what you fought for? Don't you want to advance the magical society and bring it to the modern era, screaming and kicking, if the need arises? Hermione can help you, and so will I and the other girls, and your friends too, but you must lead, as only you can make the change we all need."

Hermione looked at Luna with some new found appreciation. Harry just sighed again. "Do you want me to become the minister?"

Luna smiled, some of her whimsical nature showing again. "Not necessarily. You may only claim your Wizengamot seat, at first, but you should quickly learn how to influence people and how to make things move in the right direction. While his methods were certainly questionable, Lucius Malfoy used to do just that – influence and make things happen without doing anything himself." She then brightened when a certain idea came into her mind. "Maybe his brother can help you. The bigoted atmosphere in Britain cost him his wife and his unborn child. Correcting it can become the ultimate revenge."

Harry sighed once again. "I'm not looking forward to persuading him, and certainly not to playing the political game, but if I must..." He left the sentence hanging.


	13. Going Back

**13-Going Back**

Xenophilius was released from the hospital three days later. By then, Harry had enough time to think of his future. As much as he disliked what Luna had told him, he found it impossible to disagree with her. Still, it didn't mean that he needed to act immediately. He knew that Shackelbot had been set as the interim minister, until a new one could be officially elected, and if he did well, he would be surely elected. Harry trusted Shack to do what was necessary to heal the magical British community after the war and set it on the right path. It was also clear to him that Shack would need his help, and Harry was more than willing to help.

As for the rest – well, it could wait a bit. Harry knew that Hermione wanted to finish her studies, and the other girls probably wanted that too, regardless of becoming mothers. In a way, he also wanted it. He had never wanted to be given credit only because of his fame, and passing his NEWTs with good grades would give him some credit, irrelevant of his fame.

Xeno was still not healthy enough to travel far. John offered to take him and Luna into his house for another week or two, until Xeno recuperated enough. Harry thought this was a good chance to give his wife some more attention, before she would need to share with others.

They joined the Grangers for some day trips in the area. More than Harry was interested in the views, he was glad to see his wife so happy, basking in the love her parents were eager to give her, after almost a year apart.

Ten days later, Xeno was declared fit enough for a flight home. Harry insisted on taking them all first class.

"Are you sure, Harry? This must cost at least twice the price of tourist class," Dave asked him.

Harry shrugged. "It makes no difference to me. According to the goblins, my daily income is larger than all these tickets together. Besides, tourist class is all booked up for two more months. I want to go home already."

Dave just looked pensively at the young man, not sure what to say. He was content that Hermione would lack nothing that money could buy, at least. He also knew that was no guarantee for happiness.

Using only Muggle transportation, they needed to take a flight to Darwin, it being the closest airport for international flights, and then a much longer one back to London. It was old news for the Grangers. They had to return their rented car at the airport and didn't have enough room for four more passengers and their luggage. The Potters escorted Luna and Xeno in a taxi, meeting at the airport with the Granger parents.

This was going to be Luna's first flight, and Xeno's too. Both became as enthusiastic as small children. Harry hoped that the excitement would not affect Xeno too much. Hermione made sure to take some calming syrup for him, just to be on the safe side.

They didn't need it, eventually. Xeno was still too weak, falling asleep in his seat soon after take-off. The long inter-continental flight, although more tiring, was no longer such a novelty, and he seemed to enjoy it, holding Luna's hand most of the time, as if needing to reassure himself of her being alive. Luna was just content to know that her father was alive and going to be well.

The flight was long enough to also allow some more talking. "Where are you going to live?" Dave asked Harry and Hermione.

"We don't yet know. We stayed in our apartment at Diagon Alley, where the other two are waiting for us, before coming to Australia. It may not be the best place for us now, though, as you may have problems coming there. The house at Grimmauld place, while much bigger, may also be inappropriate for similar reasons," Hermione said. "I'm sure we may have some place more suitable for our needs at this time. We'll have to check, once we're back."

"Well, I believe we shall still spend most of the coming school-year at school, as Hermione and I would like to complete our education," Harry added.

"Is it wise?" her mother asked. "With all the stairs..."

"I'm sure I can cope with them, even when I grow bigger. Your house also has some stairs, you know," Hermione said.

"Our house?" her mother wondered.

Hermione giggled. "Well, it used to be my home, but now I'm married, so it's no longer home for me, although I'll always feel at home there."

"Sure, dear. You know our home will always be yours as well."

Hermione smiled, her eyes suddenly teary.

\/\/\/

Two young ladies were waiting for them at the airport, waving enthusiastically when they came out of the "Arrivals" gate. Susan ran forward, hugging Harry and Hermione fiercely, before letting Daphne, who came in a more dignified walk, do the same. Harry was unsure about who gave them the flight information, but he didn't mind. He was just content at seeing the two future mothers of his children so happy.

"Care for some introductions?" Dave prompted them.

Hermione handled that. "Mum, Dad, these are Susan Bones and Daphne Greengrass. They joined us, just like Luna, shortly before we went to look for you. Susan, Daphne – my parents, David and Jean Granger, and the man holding Luna's hand is her father, Xenophilius Lovegood. He's been very ill and still needs some recuperation."

The Grangers shook hands with the two young women, looking very apprehensive. Xeno seemed to be in his own world, though. "I'll take him home. Boomy has already finished most of the work," Luna said. "Let me know when you decide where you want to live, will you?"

"Sure, Luna," Hermione agreed.

Luna just led her father to the taxi station, already able to handle this on her own.

"We're too many to go by a single taxi," Dave commented.

"Oh, we've taken a limousine, large enough for all. Let me lead you," Daphne said, surprising the Potter couple. They still refrained from comment, not willing to say too much in Muggle environment.

It was a very pleasant ride, and they only talked about what they've seen in Australia, refraining from mentioning anything even remotely connected with magic. The Grangers were glad to see how nicely their garden had been kept. They invited the teens to join them for tea before going their way. They were all surprised to find a house elf busy in the kitchen, preparing tea and some snacks.

"Why are you here?" Harry asked.

"Twinkle said you would come from a long and tiring flight and may like to drink and eat something. Would you like to be served here or in the sitting room?"

Harry looked at the others, who looked quite tired. "The sitting room may be better right now. You may join us there."

The house elf seemed a bit surprised but recuperated nicely. "Tippy can't sit with you for long, as dinner must be cooked too."

Harry nodded and moved out of the kitchen, leading the others.

Tippy soon served them and sat down on a stool at the side, not quite knowing how to behave.

Harry had other concerns, though. "How did you manage to bring a limo for us?" he asked Daphne.

She shrugged. "It's not that difficult, you know. Not having much to do, we spent some time each day in Muggle London, trying to learn about it. We even watched some television at electronic shops or coffee shops. We still need to learn a lot, but we found out about the various phone directories and how to use them. It's quite easy, once you understand."

"I didn't think you'd adapt so easily to muggle way of life," Harry commented.

She shrugged. "More people live the muggle way than the magical way. Isn't it normal to want to learn that way?"

"For a Slytherin..." Harry started.

"I'm ambitious, alright, and maybe somewhat cunning, but I'm also studious and curious. Having been sorted to Slytherin has nothing to do with my views or my ideals."

Harry lifted his hands in surrender. "Fine, I won't question you again about such things." He then thought of what else he wanted to ask. "How did you know which flight we were coming in?"

"Luna sent us an owl. Her host seems to have a few and he was quite willing to let her use one. We let it stay for two days of pampering before we sent it away again," Susan replied.

Harry finally turned to Tippy. "Did Twinkle ask you to come here?"

"No, Ma.. Harry. Twinkle told me about the voyage, and I thought you'd like to have everything ready when you arrive. Did I do wrong?"

Harry smiled hesitantly. "You've done well, but it surprised me. I'm not yet used to having house elves and I didn't expect to find any of them here. It was very considerate of you to care for us."

This made Tippy smile. "Can Tippy continue preparing dinner now?"

"Don't you want to first drink some tea with us? Maybe hear a bit about our trip?"

She considered his words. "Tippy will drink, but then go prepare dinner."

Harry just nodded.

The Grangers sipped their tea, looking pensively at the interactions between the teens. It was clear that none of the two girls was as close to Harry as Luna, yet it seemed both were trying to get closer. "Care to explain the relationship between you all?" Jean asked after a while, putting down her cup.

Hermione seemed a bit confused, and so did Harry. Susan answered instead. "Only Hermione has any legal standing, being Harry's wife, Lady Potter. Her son will be the Potter heir when the time comes. We two, just like Luna, asked to be impregnated by Harry, since we need to continue our family lines, and marrying any wizard would make that impossible. It looks like we all fancy Harry, but none of us thought of more than getting impregnated, at the time. Once Harry learned of our pregnancies, he expressed his wish to take part in his children's lives, not liking a child of his to grow fatherless. That made us appreciate him and understand that we would be much closer to Harry, at least until our children grow up. Since Luna's house and mine had been destroyed during the war, and Daphne found it impossible to stay with her parents, we asked Lady Potter to allow us to join in the Potter household, as Harry clearly wanted to stay close with all his children, and that was the best way. I think the three of us are also falling in love with Harry, yet that will never come between him and Hermione, as they were married by Magic. I hope Lady Potter will be kind enough to occasionally allow us some intimate time with Harry."

"Is such relationship normal in the magical world?" Jean asked.

Susan shook her head. "It's very uncommon, but your daughter has said more than once that the unusual becomes normal when Harry is concerned. Still, this is not unheard of either."

Jean's gaze moved to Hermione. "And you agreed to that?"

Hermione shrugged. "I didn't know at the time that we were married, and I was sure that Harry would not refuse them. He has that 'saving people' thing that makes it impossible for him to refuse in many cases, so..." she shrugged, not quite knowing how to explain it better.

"And what do you think, Harry?" Jean prompted.

"I want to give all my children as happy a life as I can, and that means that they need both their parents. I expect that we shall all live close by, or maybe even together, at least part of the time. Hermione, though, will always be the most important woman in my life. I can live without the others, but I can't live without her." Nobody could doubt his sincerity.

"Well, you made a very interesting life for you, son. Living with one smart and opinionated woman is not easy. Living with four... Well, it certainly won't be easy. I'm not sure how much I can advise you, but if you need to talk with someone – I'll always be there for you," Dave said.

Harry felt tears threatening to come out. "Thank you, Dad," he said.

Hermione wouldn't let them forget, though. "Let's help my parents unpack and then go home, after enjoying Tippy's dinner, of course."

"We can do it ourselves," Dave protested.

"We know, but with magic, it will go much faster," Daphne said, smiling.

Everything was back in place even before dinner was ready, and whatever laundry they had was already placed in the washing machine. Tippy seemed a bit confused by it, but quickly learned how to use it, shooing the others away.

After a very nice dinner, the teens apparated back to the apartment on Diagon Alley. A short while later, Harry found himself in bed with three naked and horny girls. It took him half the night to sate them, before all four fell asleep in a heap, completely exhausted.


	14. Belated Wedding

**14-Belated Wedding**

It took the Grangers a few days to become comfortable in their old house. They also found out that Hermione had done a very good job when sending them away, letting two other dentists take over their clinic and their patients, presenting it as helping her parents take a long-overdue sabbatical. The contract allowed the other dentists to keep working there for a few more months before needing to renew it, thus forcing the Granger couple to find another occupation until then.

Harry wasn't surprised that they decided to start by planning Hermione's wedding, and he agreed wholeheartedly. Despite being magically wed, he thought that his wife deserved to enjoy as normal a wedding as possible. There was also the question of her pregnancy, of course. She didn't want it to be evident at her wedding, and that dictated a strict schedule. "I trust you with the preparations," Hermione told her parents. "I'd like the wedding to occur before the end of July and we have a few magical friends we'd like to invite. Other than that, you have a free hand in designing the wedding, setting the time and the location and handling the invitations. I'll cooperate at searching for the wedding dress, of course, but I think Harry and I need to concentrate on finding the appropriate house we can make our home."

"You should also find something suitable to wear for the wedding," Dave told Harry.

He shrugged. "Whenever Hermione will go shopping for her dress, you can help me find something suitable for the occasion."

With money being a non-issue, it was quite easy to find a place for the wedding at the time Hermione considered the best – a week before Harry's eighteenth birthday. Her parents handled the invitations and sent them to all their muggle relatives and family friends. Harry and Hermione sent invitations to the magical people they wanted to see at their wedding using owl mail.

None of the other girls would give up a chance to shop for a wedding dress, especially since none expected to need one herself. They joined Hermione on her shopping and fitting trips, enjoying it much more than she did. "I want to buy you appropriate dresses for the occasion," Harry told them, and none refused the chance to get a very elegant dress fitted. They spent more than a week on shopping and fitting all the dresses. Harry and Dave needed only half a day to buy a tuxedo of the highest quality, along with an appropriate shirt, shoes and all the rest.

Yet most of the time was spent on checking the Potter and Black properties, trying to find the one most suitable for a family to live in. The apartment at Diagon Alley as well as the house at Grimmauld place were evidently unsuitable for their needs. The house at Godric Hollow, even if restored, seemed too small for their needs and certainly too far from the Granger residence. The Potter Mansion, while very elegant and certainly big enough, was too big, really, and was also too far for the Granger couple to easily reach.

Looking through the documents, they found some more places to check. The Potters held a modest house in muggle London, that was more than good enough for a couple and several children, "I'm not sure it's good enough if you want Daphne, Suzy and Luna to live with us as well," Hermione said.

They found another house inherited from the Black family. Unlike the ones Potter held, this one was much larger, with an expansive garden around it, surrounded by high hedges. Although protected by multiple wards, it was perfectly accessible to muggles, and not too far from an underground station. Harry suspected it was originally intended for doing business with muggles, without disclosing the location of the Black residence. "We only need to redecorate it, remove the snake motifs and add some pleasant paintings, and it could prove perfect, even with the addition of the other girls and their children," Harry noted.

"And if we add a playground in the large garden, it could be perfect for children as well," Hermione added.

"I think Sirius would have been glad to see us use the house this way," Harry said, his eyes turning suspiciously damp.

"And we still have quite a few more places to check, but we don't need to hurry, since all are farther. They may prove useful as summer houses or for special occasions, though," Hermione agreed.

Susan and Daphne were also enchanted, once Harry let them see that house. "We can easily reach all the interesting areas in London from here," Daphne noticed. Susan nodded her agreement.

"Twinkle!" Harry called.

The house-elf appeared a moment later. "We can make everything ready before your wedding. Do you want the house wired for electricity?" Twinkle asked a short discussion later.

"Can it work in this magical environment?" Hermione asked.

Twinkle nodded. "As Mistress Lilly found, a simple shield is usually good enough. We then started using runic shields, that need less maintenance. A bit of charging once a year is more than enough, and all electronic instruments worked flawlessly."

"Then do it. I'd like to add a large television set in the sitting room and a smaller one in the master bedroom. A phone line and Internet connection, as well as a computer in the study, can help us stay in touch with the Muggle world. I think a music system in the sitting room may also be nice," Hermione said.

"It will all be ready before the wedding," Twinkle promised.

\/\/\/

As the set date approached, everybody involved was getting excited. Hermione needed more cuddling than usual before she could fall asleep, and so did Harry. Luna came to visit every other day, making sure to get her share of Harry. The other girls just helped the couple fall asleep, also getting well sated in the process.

Hermione slept the last night before the wedding in her old room in her parents' house, leaving Harry with the three other expecting mothers. Despite enjoying them before falling asleep and when waking up, Harry was still very nervous as he got ready for the wedding. The girls all took a taxi to the Granger residence, to help Hermione and keep her company until the wedding. Ron and Neville came to give Harry some support and help him get ready. Harry was a bit concerned about Ron's acceptance of his marriage, but Ron didn't seem to mind. "Everybody knew you two were meant for each other since the second year. There were times I thought she ought to be mine, but that was just wishful thinking. It now looks like Lavender will make a better choice for me, once she's released from the hospital. She actually sent you two her congratulations, when I visited her yesterday."

Harry was surprised. "I didn't know she was still alive. After that fall during the battle..."

"It could have been fatal, had she been a muggle, but she was lucky she could be healed, although it is a long treatment. She's expected to be alright in another month, so she told me."

"I'm really glad to hear this. Does Hermione know?"

Ron shrugged. "You two were too busy with the changes in your lives, and I barely had a chance to talk with any of you since the funerals. I think she'll be glad to hear this, though."

The boys escorted Harry to the church, where the guests were assembling. A short while later, Hermione arrived with her parents. Harry's breath stopped for a moment when he saw her in her white wedding dress. There could be nobody more beautiful than his wife, so he felt, and his beaming smile showed his love and his appreciation.

He could only see Hermione during the ceremony. Everybody else, including the officiating vicar, seemed to only be in the background. He came back to his senses somewhat later, when the celebration moved to a nearby reception hall. He was presented to her relatives and shook hands with more people than he cared to count. He and Hermione were also congratulated by Professors McGonagall and Slughorn. As expected, Hagrid didn't come, not to attract undue attention, nor did Flitwick, for similar reasons. Most surviving members of the DA and the Order of the Phoenix were also present.

The guests were already leaving when Harry noticed two of the guests who were approaching. "What are THEY doing here?" he asked Hermione in a whisper.

"I thought we should give them a chance to redeem themselves," she answered. "I sent them an invitation."

He could no longer talk to her, as the two guests stopped in front of them. "Congratulations Harry, Hermione. I've heard about all you've been through last year and I'm really glad you can finally enjoy happiness together. You really deserve it!"

Harry felt as if he was dumbstruck, but Hermione answered for them both, "Thank you, Dudley. We're glad that you've come to celebrate with us on this happy day."

"It was my pleasure," Dudley assured her.

His mother, standing at his side, looked teary and not sure of herself, quite different than Harry remembered her. She seemed to consider her words carefully before she finally spoke. "Harry, it's a shame your mother couldn't be here today. She would have been so proud of the man you've turned out to be. I'm also sorry for the way you've been treated while growing up with us. I was too weak to stand Vernon and treat you the way I should, and my frustration made me treat Dudley wrong in a different way. I hope you can forgive me and let me and Dudley become the family we should have been from the beginning."

Harry felt Hermione urging him to do just that. "I forgive you, Aunt Petunia. Actually, where is Vernon?"

She grimaced. "When he found out that our house had been burned to the ground and then magically restored, he refused to stay in it. We've already started the divorce procedures. Come to think of this, I shouldn't have married him to start with, but seeing Lilly so happy in her marriage urged me to marry too. At least this gave me Dudley."

Harry wasn't sure what to say. He just nodded understandingly, before some other guests grabbed the couple's attention. Mr. Lovegood looked much healthier than Harry had last seen him. "Congratulations, you two. After helping save my Luna and saving me, I feel indebted to you. I'll do whatever is in my powers to thank you."

Harry smiled at the man. "You're soon going to have two grandchildren, and they would need their grandfather. Make sure to stay healthy and well, so you and they can enjoy being together. They're my children, after all."

Xeno smiled tiredly. "Don't worry, I promised Luna to help her. I must do my best to keep that promise."

Harry smiled at that. Luna only hugged him quickly, yet managed to whisper, "Don't exhaust yourself, as I'll come later for a quick shag. I still need to keep an eye on Dad. He occasionally slips and needs someone near him to straighten him back."

"You can ask one of our house-elves to help you. They'd be just too happy to do that," Harry suggested.

"We'll talk about it another time," she answered, taking her father's hand to lead him away.

Harry was surprised to see Daphne leading an older couple and a younger girl towards them. "Harry, Hermione, I'm glad to present my parents, Cygnus and Rosalind, and my sister Astoria to you."

The couple approached. "Congratulations, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter. Daphne has told us a lot about you, and we're glad to finally meet you in person. Please let us know if ever you need any advice about your business or your social standing. I believe we can help you in these areas," Mr. Greengrass said, sounding very strict.

His wife wasn't as strict, though. She hugged Harry briefly and then Hermione, before moving aside with her husband.

Astoria was even less formal. "I'm glad you finally did this. Even at the Ravenclaw common room, they had some bets on when you two would come together."

"You're a Raven?" Harry asked, sounding surprised.

"Sure, just like Mom. She used to be a good friend with your mother. Didn't you know it?"

"There seems to be a lot I don't yet know about my parents," Harry said.

"Talk to mine. They may have not been very close at all times, but close enough to know quite a bit about yours. Now, may I kiss the groom?"

Harry smiled and let her kiss him. Astoria chose to kiss his lips, making Hermione frown a bit and then smile, realizing that Astoria was only teasing him.

Much later that day, they arrived at the new Potter residence. Hermione took off her heels and sighed with relief. They then proceeded to the bedroom, where Harry helped her out of her dress so they could celebrate their wedding in the most intimate way.

An hour later they were joined by Luna, Daphne and Susan, who were just as eager to rid themselves of the elegant dresses and show Harry their love.


	15. Start of Term

**15-Start of Term**

With the wedding out of the way, Hermione thought it was time to get ready for school, an idea that was strongly endorsed by Luna and Daphne as well. The three studious girls made a tight schedule of rehearsal to assure their readiness on time. Harry and Suzy had no choice in that.

It didn't turn too bad, though. Hermione invited Neville, Ron and Ginny to join them; Susan asked her good friend Hannah Abbott the same, and Daphne offered, after consulting with the Potters, for Tracey and Pansy to join.

Pansy declined, not unexpectedly, despite clearly appreciating the offer. "Although my parents didn't agree with the Dark Lord, they had to seem sympathetic, giving large sums of money to keep themselves out of his army. Now, my parents and their friends are in a very delicate situation, not being trusted by the victors nor by the losers. I feel it is my duty to try and help as much as I can."

Ron also declined. "I'm not sure I even want to join you at school this year. I may just be able to cash on our 'war hero' status to gain some respectable job." Neither Harry nor Hermione were surprised by his answer. Ginny joined them gladly.

With four pregnant women urging him to do his best, Harry didn't dare slouch. He did his best during their studies, proving to be a much better student than he'd been before, making Hermione proud of him. Despite missing a whole school year, they soon found out that Daphne and Suzy, who had attended the seventh year, didn't get much studying then. The Carrows instilled only fear, and the other teachers only tried to protect and reassure the students, not paying much attention to teaching. This helped Hermione feel more relaxed about the missing year, and Harry felt thankful for that.

But the summer was not only about studying. As both Luna and Daphne strongly suggested, Harry also claimed his seat in the Wizengamot and started being politically active, despite not liking politics. It didn't take him long to realize that Luna's words were spot on: his opinion usually counted the most and just by supporting or opposing certain ideas he could make a significant change.

After a very intensive month of studies and politics (and shags. None of the four pregnant girls would give up on that!), it was time to board the Hogwarts Express for their belated last year of schooling. Neither Harry nor the girls felt the same enthusiasm that they used to feel a few years earlier. Hogwarts was no longer just a school. It now held memories of battle, fight, and death, along with memories of victory. None of them was eager to confront those memories, that were as yet too fresh.

Still, it was a pleasant ride. The five were soon joined by Neville and Hannah, along with Tracey. Pansy visited, congratulating Lord and Lady Potter very formally, and talking a bit with Daphne, yet she didn't stay for long.

Another visit surprised them. Draco Malfoy came alone, looking much more reserved than usual. He bowed slightly after he passed the door. "Lord and Lady Potter, on behalf of House Malfoy I congratulate you on your marriage and wish you long and happy lives. I must also apologize for my behaviour since the first year. It was all immature behaviour of a spoiled child who knew no better. I now hope to be able to start a new page of just and friendly relations between our houses. I also promise to give the Malfoy support for your initiative to improve and modernize the wizarding world."

Both Harry and Hermione nodded in acceptance. It took Harry a moment to form a verbal answer. "Scion Malfoy, thank you for your congratulations. I also hope we can leave the past behind us and work together to achieve a better future."

Draco smiled hesitantly and bowed stiffly once again, before leaving the compartment.

"What do you think happened to him?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged. "Growing up, maybe? Or it could be that becoming the head of the house, after his father was sentenced for life in prison, made him rethink his position. He's not stupid, you can give him that, and he saw that the pureblood agenda was leading nowhere, even if it promised short-term advantages for him. Simple logic dictated joining the winners. That's perfectly Slytherin, you know."

"So, do you think he's really changed?" Harry insisted.

Hermione hesitated. "He seemed sincere, at least. Only time will tell if the change is more than superficial."

"Oh, he's changed," Luna said. "I can see him leading for change, along with you two. I'm not sure, but I think he may also marry a Muggle."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked.

Luna shrugged. "I knew as soon as he came here. I don't know how."

Harry decided not to ask any further. He was sure to get no better answer.

Professor Slughorn was waiting for them at the main entrance to Hogwarts. "Welcome, my heroes. It is my duty and my pleasure to inform you that the headmistress has received your letter and had set aside some rooms for all pregnant ladies. Of course, those who are married are expected to be there with their husbands. A house-elf will show you there after the welcome feast. I must also say how delighted I am to teach you and your ladies another year. It's a great honour as well."

Harry forced himself to smile thankfully. Slughorn started turning and then seemed to remember something and turned back. "Oh, there will be two other pregnant women there. Unfortunately, their pregnancies were not planned, but they seem to welcome them nevertheless. Now hurry, or you'll miss the sorting."

The rotund professor hurried in. Harry and his ladies followed at a more leisurely pace. Once inside they faced a problem that none had thought of before. "Where will we sit?" Harry asked.

Daphne shrugged. "It's customary for students to sit at their house tables at the feast. I don't mind sitting with Pansy and Tracy for the feast. I'll join you afterwards."

Harry looked questioningly at the others. Susan didn't seem to mind either way. Luna was a bit pensive, but then shrugged it off. "I no longer mind them. There are more important things in my life than how some silly children treat me."

Harry was relieved that this didn't turn into an issue. Hermione seemed to be even happier, holding his arm possessively as they approached the Gryffindor table.

Nobody seemed surprised at seeing them so close. Harry suspected that everybody had already read about his wedding. That didn't mean that everybody approved, though. He noticed that Romilda Vane was looking at Hermione with evident envy. A few other girls also seemed not to approve. He took note of the ones disapproving their union. These would need watching for trouble. Although he didn't doubt Hermione's ability to protect herself, she was now pregnant and as such he wanted her even better protected. He would speak with his friends about that.

The somewhat subdued atmosphere, no doubt due to the events that took place at Hogwarts only four months previously, became livelier during the sorting of first-year students and then when the food appeared on the tables. The new students seemed as fascinated as Harry remembered himself that first time at Hogwarts while the older ones were eager to renew their friendships and exchange stories about their prolonged summer vacation, although not all stories were cheerful.

When the feast was approaching its end, Headmistress McGonagall stood up, making the noise cease as the students were eager to know what she had to say.

"Welcome all," she started. "I'm sure that you'll be all glad to hear that as part of the restoration work done here during the summer, there were new wards erected, disallowing everybody under eighteen from entering the forbidden forest, thus eliminating one source of possible danger to the students. We're also working on removing all dangerous creatures from that forest. Once that is done, the new wards will be removed and the forest will cease being forbidden, but that work may take another year or two."

She looked at the Gryffindor table and smiled slightly. "As some of you may have noticed, we've not yet assigned the positions of Head Boy and Head Girl. There was a fierce debate about the right way to act about this, since we have an unprecedented situation this time. The class that should have graduated two months ago couldn't graduate, due to events none of us could control. That means that these students have now returned for their eighth year. As the eldest students, it was natural to assign the heads position to students from that class, yet that would have deprived the class that would normally be graduating this year from these positions, which was just as unfair to them. After long debates, it was decided to have two pairs of head students. I suggest that the one finishing its seventh year take most of the responsibility, but it's up to the four to decide on the exact responsibilities each of them will take."

She took a deep breath, noticing the anticipation on many faces. She knew some would be disappointed with the choices, but she was completely at peace with them. Unlike some other times, this time she was sure the choices were spot on. "The eighth-year Head Boy is none other than Harry Potter, who undoubtedly earned his position by the heroic deeds he led during the last year."

She waited for the applause to subside. She noticed that some even came from the Slytherin table. She couldn't clearly see who was cheering for the choice and who didn't.

"Our choice for Head Girl would not surprise most of you. Hermione Potter, previously Granger, is our eighth year Head Girl!"

The cheers were just as loud. Hermione blushed and lowered her head before Harry whispered in her ear. She then lifted her head and stood up, bowing her head to the head table and then standing proudly until the cheers calmed down.

"You really deserve this," Harry told her when she finally sat down again.

The headmistress continued. "We had several candidates for the position of seventh-year head girl, eventually ending with two that seemed most worthy: Miss Luna Lovegood and Miss Ginny Weasley. Both have shown top academic achievements as well as great courage and determination in fighting the dark. I talked with both of them without mentioning my intentions. Miss Lovegood expressed her wishes to dedicate herself to her studies. She also said that she was expecting twins, due before the end of the winter, so that she couldn't take any additional responsibilities, not even as prefect. Miss Weasley, on the other hand, was eager to resume her prefect duties and is not pregnant, as far as she knows..." This brought a wave of chuckles. "...so it was decided to give the Head Girl position to her."

Ginny stood up, her face turning as red as her hair, to accept the applause. Once it calmed down, the headmistress continued. "We had more difficulty in finding the right person for the Head Boy position. None of the boys in this class stood out socially or academically in any of the houses. The only one whom I would have liked to consider is no longer with us." Those who knew her recognized this to be a reference to Colin Creevey, who had died during the Last Battle at Hogwarts, yet this was not the appropriate time to name him. "Still, we needed to choose one. Based on grades alone, we chose Mr. Jonathan Grey from Hufflepuff as the new Head Boy."

A shy Hufflepuff stood up to accept the polite applause. It seemed that even his housemates were not highly impressed by him. Harry still managed to see that the boy's eyes changed to show determination. Harry felt quite sure it would turn out to be a good choice. After all, the boy seemed to have already gained credit by outshining his Ravenclaw peers.

When the applause stopped, McGonagall continued. "Since Mr. and Mrs. Potter are already married, they will need accommodation that the Head suite isn't appropriate for. They were assigned an apartment in the married couples wing, close to the teachers' apartments. The seventh-year Heads will reside in the Head suite."

She then presented some new professors and dismissed the students to their dormitories, asking only the four Head students to stay. Harry turned to Ginny. "Congratulations! With Ron as my example, I didn't know you could be such a good student. I already know you are a formidable fighter and a leader."

Ginny blushed at his compliment. "Well, with you two as my role models, how could I turn out much different? And congratulations to you both. You really deserve the positions."

Harry shrugged. "It was never my ambition to become Head Boy. I'm glad Hermione got the position of Head Girl, though. She worked very hard to be eligible for it."

Ginny smiled. "It was clear since my first year that Hermione would get it. Even if some other girls were gaining almost as good grades, she was also involved in everything of importance."

"Thank you, Ginny, but I wasn't so sure," Hermione replied. "Actually, Padma Patil, Susan bones and Daphne Greengrass were strong contenders, the way I saw it."

Ginny just waved her hand, dismissing the thought. "Everybody knew there was no real contest. Well, everybody but you."


	16. Births

**16-Births**

It took only a few days for everybody to get back into the rhythm of school life. The Potters got a large apartment with the pregnant girls getting smaller ones in the same corridor. After some initial confusion, Harry found that his house-elves were quite eager to help the pregnant young women join them whenever they wanted and move them back to their places in the morning, with nobody being able to notice. While none of them considered keeping their relations secret, the headmistress insisted on everything looking proper. In her words, "I don't mind what you do, but each of you should be seen coming out of her own apartment in the morning and returning there after dinner. I don't want to hear of any inappropriate behaviour!"

Despite his busy nights and his Head Boy duties, Harry felt quite relaxed, now that he needed to face no major threat. It also helped that Ginny and Jonathan took most of the responsibilities, since Hermione's pregnancy started showing. She still insisted on taking part in planning whatever needed planning and doing as much as her situation would allow. At first, her pregnancy didn't really limit her, but as time passed and she started feeling heavier and clumsier, she was forced to reduce her participation in anything requiring walking. The other expecting mothers were also feeling that effect, and especially Luna, who was carrying twins.

Hermione wouldn't let that interfere with her studies, of course. She enlisted Harry's help in bringing the appropriate books from the library and continued to study as a group with the other expecting mothers. Just like during the summer, Neville and Ginny joined them, with Hannah, Tracy and even Pansy joining them occasionally. At the end of term exams, Harry felt that he was well prepared, and his scores proved it. He got almost as good marks as Hermione, surpassing her only at DADA. The others got very good marks too.

Before they even knew it, the winter holidays arrived. They spent most of the winter vacation at the same house they had inhabited in the summer, inviting Hermione's and Daphne's parents to visit. Xeno stayed with them most of the time. He'd been missing his daughter a lot, and he needed her close presence. It helped heal his mind, that wasn't yet fully healed. Despite all the enticing shops at this season, the girls all felt too heavy to go shopping more than once, when each bought the presents for the rest of their extended family. Luckily, with family and friends dropping in to visit, they didn't need to go out more often than that.

Back at Hogwarts, the girls were finding the stairs too much. Even with the help provided by the house-elves, they gradually stopped attending classes. This didn't mean that they gave up their studies. None of them would even consider it! Harry (with Neville helping) made sure to write down everything with as much detail as he could. The girls studied his notes and the books and had him submit their homework.

"I'm feeling like an errand boy," Harry complained to Neville. "It's not only their studies, you should know. They wake up in the middle of the night with bizarre cravings and I have to find something to satisfy them. Luckily, the house-elves are very cooperative. Where could I find some strawberries in the middle of the winter otherwise?"

Neville just chuckled, thinking that he was in no hurry to get married and expect children.

By the end of January, Luna was no longer able to leave her apartment. Madam Pomfrey made it clear that she should stay in bed and only leave it for the loo or for a shower. By mid-February, none of the other expecting mothers was leaving her apartment either. They even gave up sex, despite feeling very horny, since they could no longer participate in it the way they liked. They could barely sleep, as no position felt comfortable enough for more than a few minutes.

Harry wasn't sure what he was feeling about all this. Sure, the constant demands of four pregnant women were more than he thought any man should suffer, yet the expected five babies were more than an appropriate reward for that. He just hoped he would survive the nagging to see them all.

Surprisingly, Susan gave birth first. It was in the middle of the night when a house-elf awakened Harry. "Lady Bones is giving birth. She wants you at her side," he was told.

By the time he arrived, Madam Pomfrey was already busy at Susan's side. She motioned Harry to sit on a chair near Susan's head. He took the girl's hand and tried to talk soothingly at her. It only helped for a few minutes, until another contraction came. Susan pressed his hand so tightly that he was sure she'd broken something. She also started spouting curses that Harry couldn't believe she even knew, threatening to castrate him if he ever approached her. Madam Pomfrey, seeing his frightened and confused expression, explained, "Women giving birth suffer intense pains and their judgment is non-existent at the time. Don't pay attention to it. She will forget she even said that by the time she has the baby in her arms."

Harry really hoped she was right.

Susan was almost ready when a house-elf popped into that room. "Miss Greengrass's water broke," it said.

They couldn't leave Susan at this stage. Madam Pomfrey made a quick call to St. Mungos, asking for help, and sent the midwife that arrived to look after Daphne while she stayed with Susan. Harry felt torn between these two mothers to be of his children. He then heard Daphne's mother arrive. That made him stay with Susan, who had no family.

Things started to move quite quickly after that. It only took Susan a short while to push the baby out, giving Harry his first child – a redhead baby girl. Madam Pomfrey checked the newborn, cleaned her and clothed her. "Take your daughter to her mother," she told Harry.

He looked at the small bundle in his arms and his heart went to the little girl. He tenderly put her in her mother's arms, where she fussed a little before latching on an offered nipple. Susan caressed her daughter and then looked up at Harry. "Thank you, Harry. You've given me the most precious present possible. I also hope you make sure she has some siblings in a few years."

It really seemed like she no longer remembered what she'd said to him just a short time earlier. He kissed her tenderly and then excused himself. "Daphne is now starting her delivery. I think she expects me at her side."

Susan smiled tiredly. "Go to her, then. I think I'm going to sleep for a while."

He kissed her cheek again and caressed the baby's cheek with a finger before leaving Susan's apartment.

When he reached Daphne's bed, he wished he stayed with Susan. Daphne had lost any pretence of being an "ice queen." She was screaming and cursing worse than a sailor, making her mother, who was sitting at her side, blush with embarrassment. "That's alright, Lady Greengrass. Madam Pomfrey has already explained this to me," Harry told her. He still made sure to give Daphne his other hand. Although Madam Pomfrey had checked his hands, finding nothing amiss, he didn't dare put the same hand to another punishment.

Daphne's delivery went much slower than Susan's. Although it started in the early morning, there was not much change by lunchtime, and as dinner approached, nothing seemed to really change.

And then it changed all at once. Daphne's contractions came so close to each other that they seemed like one, pushing the baby out in almost no time at all, rewarding her and Harry with a baby boy. He had a tuft of blond hair but his eyes were unmistakably green, like his father's. Harry put his new son on Daphne's chest, where he was quick to grab a nipple and suckle, making all present smile. Daphne could barely keep her eyes open. She just whispered, "Thank you, Harry," before letting sleep take her. With nothing else to do for the new mothers, Harry returned to Hermione's side, where a house-elf served them both dinner, which Harry ate ravenously, having skipped both breakfast and lunch.

After making sure Hermione was comfortable, he visited Luna shortly and then went to see the two new mothers and their children. They were all still asleep, recuperating from the stressful birth process, although Susan had already fed her baby twice since he'd left her side.

That night, it took Hermione a long time to make Harry relax. Seeing the birth process, the pains that the mothers suffered, the blood, and then – the baby being born, made him so excited that he just couldn't relax enough to fall asleep, despite needing it. He kept wondering about the miracle of new life coming out of the mothers and of how quickly he felt a bond form between him and the babies. Hermione eventually put his head on her chest and let him caress her swollen breasts. This seemed to calm him down enough to let his tiredness take control and push him to sleep.

Since Hermione was staying in their apartment, he made it his custom to eat breakfast and dinner with her (and whichever of the other expecting girls wanted to join them) and only eat lunch in the Great Hall. He skipped the morning lessons that day, relying on Neville, Ginny, Hannah and Tracey to cover the note-taking for him. He simply was too excited to sit in class and was sure he would be unable to concentrate on anything. He still went to the Great Hall for lunch, letting all his friends congratulate him, and many more. None of the girls kept his part secret, so they all treated him as a new father, despite not being married to any of them.

He was on his way back from lunch when a house-elf popped at his side. "Lady Luna is giving birth," the house-elf told him. "Should I take you there?"

Harry nodded. A moment later he was at Luna's side. She didn't seem to be in pains. She just smiled at him. "I'm glad you could come. You were there to put them in, so it's just right to be there when they come out."

Looking at her, Harry kept wondering how two babies could have room in such a small body, and yet he was assured both twins were in perfect health, as Madam Pomfrey was checking on Luna daily. He took her small hand in his and pressed reassuringly. She pressed lightly back, yet he barely refrained from grimacing. Both his hands were still hurting from being pressed so hard the previous day. "I'd like you to hold my shoulders when it starts in earnest," Luna told him. "Once they're out, I think you should tell my father. I'd really like to see him when this is over."

"I'll call him," he promised.

They chatted for a while. Luna grimaced every few minutes but showed no other sign of her contractions. Poppy was sitting nearby, paying close attention to the labouring mother. Harry didn't know, but after the torture she had suffered during her captivity, the birthing pains were insignificant. He was actually surprised when Poppy told him to move back and let Luna push. He held her shoulders comfortingly. Luna pushed several times, bringing out a baby boy. A few more pushes brought a baby girl. Both looked well-formed and alert. Harry had tears in his eyes when he looked at these two wonders. He then gave them to Luna, who put each to a breast, sighing contentedly when they started suckling.

She looked at Harry and whispered "Thanks!" he kissed her brow. "I'll go call your father," he said as he caressed both babies and left.

By the time he returned with Xeno, Ginny was waiting for him. "Hermione's water broke. Go stay with her. I'll go to Luna."

He didn't need to be told twice, as he immediately rushed to Hermione's side. It looked like her contractions started in earnest as soon as her water broke. She was just thrashing on her bed when he came. Without even speaking, she grabbed his arm. This seemed to calm her down, although Harry felt as if she broke his arm. He wondered where these girls suddenly found such immense powers. Weren't they supposed to be the weaker gender?

He had no time to wonder. The door burst open and Jean came in to support her daughter, followed by Headmistress McGonagall, who had evidently called her and helped her reach Hogwarts so quickly. Harry made a mental note to thank her.

The contraction seemed to be quite long and painful, but it ended after a while. Hermione had some tears in her eyes. She looked at her mother accusingly. "You never told me how painful it is to give birth."

"You never really asked, and you read quite enough books about that. You probably discarded the information as irrelevant. Can't you get something to relieve the pain?"

Hermione shook her head. "It looks like I'm going to give birth any moment now – too late for a pain potion to have any effect. The healer cast a few numbing spells, but they don't seem to do much. I..."

Her face contorted in pain and she grabbed Harry's arm even tighter than before. Harry bent down and kissed her brow and her cheek. He didn't know if that could help, but even if it only slightly distracted her from the pain, it was worth it. Besides, he liked kissing Hermione. "My wife..." he said, not even thinking.

Poppy intervened. "Next time, push as hard as you can. Although it's your first time, it seems to go much quicker than usual. I've cast some spells to help you with the delivery."

Hermione nodded once before the next contraction came. She pushed hard and Harry could see some change down her belly, although he didn't understand what it meant.

"You're doing fine, dear. Another push or two, and the baby will crown, I think," her mother told her.

It went quite quickly, so it seemed. Hermione gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Once checked, cleaned and bundled, he cradled the baby in his arms and put him gently on Hermione's chest, where the baby tried to raise his head and look around, but gave up after a second or two, staying content with the offered nipple.

Harry sat down at Hermione's side and looked at the peaceful scene when it suddenly hit him. "I'm a father of five, now!" he said, not quite believing his words. As the meaning finally got in, it became too much for him to handle at the moment. He simply fainted.


	17. Family

**17-Family**

A week later, all four new mothers resumed their studies with full rigour. They were all adamant to not let the fact that they were now mothers affect their grades. The house-elves helped as much as they could and the girls tried to breast-feed the babies between lessons. When this wasn't possible, a house-elf would bring the needy baby to his mother even during lessons. The school robes were good enough to keep it all private, not showing any more skin to others than normally acceptable.

With magical healing, it only took a few more days before the new mothers were feeling perfectly well, so well that they were ready and eager to resume their sexual activity, this time with contraceptive measures in place.

Harry felt in heaven. After recuperating from the shock of becoming a father of five almost at once, he started enjoying his role. He tried to spend some time with each baby, even more than he paid individual attention to their mothers, although none complained.

Headmistress McGonagall also made sure that all the grandparents had a way to visit their new grandchildren. That was no problem for the Greengrass, of course. Xeno asked to stay at the castle until Luna graduated, to enable him to spend more time with the babies and help Luna. Her apartment was adjusted to have another room for him. The Grangers had a temporary Floo connection set at their house and were given necklaces to overcome the muggle-repelling wards of Hogwarts, allowing them to visit at will.

Harry was most surprised that similar arrangements were made for another person. "Aunt Petunia? What are you doing here?" he asked the first time he saw her.

"After your headmistress informed me, I thought how much Lily would have liked to be here for you and your wife, and I felt I needed to come in her place. Your headmistress made all the necessary arrangements."

"What did she tell you?" Harry asked. He felt quite worried about his aunt's reaction at learning that he had four more children from other women.

She smiled reassuringly at him. "She told me about the special circumstances that made you help three more young ladies. I thought that you might need help to cope with five babies. May I see them?"

\/\/\/

Being so busy as a father, as a student and as Head Boy, not to mention some politics that he found himself involved in, it seemed like no time at all passed before he had to sit for the NEWTs. After studying with the girls, he wasn't surprised that he felt quite confident in the exams. He felt that he did them well, and the results which arrived a few days later proved him right. Hermione kept the top position, as expected, but he was a very close second, with "his" other three girls just behind him.

He couldn't remember much of the Graduation ceremony, although he had a large part in organizing it and certainly took his part in the celebration. With four young women striving for his attention, along with Aunt Petunia, who wouldn't miss the occasion, and Mrs. Granger, who also insisted on dancing with him, he soon lost any semblance of coherence. It got even worse when he returned to the lodging, where five babies wanted their parents' attention. He still thought it was a fabulous evening.

He kept thinking that way the next morning, when he woke up with four naked women in bed, but once he satisfied them, they all needed to turn more serious.

"We now need to leave school and start living as adults," Harry noted the obvious. "Where do you want to live and what should we do with our lives?"

"We already have a home," Hermione said, as if reminding him. "We've already made it suitable for our needs. We should move there first. In time, we may find another place more suitable, but right now we're fine with that."

Harry agreed wholeheartedly. He also noticed that the other girls nodded their agreement. Hermione had some more to say. "I don't know what everybody thinks, but after we get some rest, I intend to catch up with my Muggle studies, so that I can attend university. I still need to decide what I want to study there. I think I'd also like to gain mastery in a few magical fields, but a bit later."

Harry could see Luna's and Daphne's eyes sparkle when Hermione mentioned studies. Susan didn't seem to mind, just like him. He doubted if their opinions would even count, seeing the three studious girls so enthusiastic.

They couldn't dwell on that. Five hungry babies were waiting for them. After feeding the babies and having breakfast, they got dressed casually, with what the elves had left on their beds, since everything else was already packed. Although the elves were willing to take them home, they decided to travel like the rest of their classmates, enjoying their last time on the Hogwarts Express.

With five babies in cribs, along with their five parents, the train compartment turned really crowded. This didn't deter some of their friends from joining them. Neville came with Hannah and Ginny also wanted to join them. Hermione took her wand and cast a spell to enlarge the compartment, making it comfortable for a few more people, without changing its outer dimensions.

Shortly after starting their trip, the compartment's door opened and Draco came in. He smiled at the occupants and turned to Harry. "Would you mind if I join you for the ride? I'd like to discuss some ideas we may like to push through the Wizengamot in the near future."

Harry nodded his agreement and Draco sat down on the facing bench. He first looked at the babies, who were currently sleeping despite the noisy company. His face mellowed as his gaze went from one baby to another. "I should also find myself someone to build a family with. It's my duty to continue the Malfoy line, you know, being the last."

Harry tried a shot in the dark. "Are you sure? Don't you have any other family members?"

Draco shrugged. "I know that my father had an older brother who'd been cast out of the family. I have no idea where he might be now, if he's even alive. Dad didn't tell me much, but I suspect that he tried to get rid of that 'blood traitor' brother, knowing how he thought and acted."

"What would you do if you found him?" Harry asked.

"I'd reinstate him into the family, first, and apologize for all he'd suffered due to my father. From the little I found out, he used to be quite a nice person, one I would like to know. He may even help me move the Malfoy line into the light."

Hermione couldn't keep out of it. "Your uncle is alive and well, although he'd suffered quite a lot due to your father. He'd lost his wife and his unborn child and had been badly injured, Still, he may be willing to help you if you're serious about this."

"You know him? Uncle Astrum is alive? Can I see him?" Draco seemed as eager as a small boy.

Harry was still uncertain. Despite Draco's cooperation in the political arena and his seemingly changed attitude, he was still very cautious with his blond ex-rival. "I'm not sure if he'd like his whereabouts known. Your family's record concerning him is not encouraging."

Draco grimaced. "I can't blame him. My dad took the family teachings to the extreme. I dread to think how he would have treated me now, when I'm distancing myself from all that he taught me, finding it unacceptable." He turned introspective for a moment, and then brightened. "Well, I assume that you know how to contact him. Please tell him that I'd really like to meet him and I'd appreciate any help he can give me in moving the Malfoy family into the light. I'm going to reinstate him into the family as soon as I return home. I believe he will be able to tell when this happens."

"What do you mean?", Hermione asked suspiciously.

Draco tried to explain. "You two may not be aware of it, but when one grows up in an old magical family, one absorbs quite a bit of the family magic. When cast out, that magic is ripped away from that person, and when reinstated, it returns. One is bound to notice the changes in one's magic. You must also know that one can be cast out of the family only once. One reinstated into the family cannot be cast out again. I think that's a kind of protection against whimsical behaviour by the head of the house."

Harry considered his words and then nodded. "We'll try to inform your uncle. The rest will be up to him and to you."

Draco seemed really moved. "Thank you very much. I can't even express how glad I am for a chance to repair some of the wrongs done by my father. I..." He seemed to be lost for words. He just turned to Harry and hugged him for a moment, before letting go and trying to regain control of his feelings.

Only Luna looked like this kind of behaviour was expected. All others looked very surprised but still refrained from commenting, not knowing how Draco would react. This public display of emotions was certainly not something anybody expected of him, even after he started changing his ways.

Draco spent some time discussing political issues with Harry, both trying to think of the best ways to move forward some new egalitarian laws. Despite the victory of the light, the wizengamot still included too many old-liners who were difficult to persuade to support anything not strictly traditional.

Draco left after a while. Luna looked at Daphne and told her, "You should get ready to become family with Draco. He has his eyes on your sister, and she seems to like the idea."

Daphne shrugged it off. "Two years ago, I would have fought the idea with all that I got, but now… Draco has changed tremendously for the better. He's not my type, I admit, but I can now understand what Astoria finds in him. With his new attitude, he may even turn a very good husband for her."

Luna smiled. "He will."

\/\/\/

Harry's thoughts drifted back to John, now identified as Astrum. The man deserved to regain his status in the magical world and in his birth family, even if he would never come back to Britain. And then, gaining back the Family Magic, maybe Astrum would decide to help change the British Magical world in ways that would assure that nobody would ever have to suffer the way he had. At least Draco seemed to want reconciliation with his uncle. Yes, Harry decided, he would write to John, inform him of the changes and let him decide on the next step. That would be for the best.

Harry looked at the sleeping babies and their mothers and felt content as he had never felt before. He felt like his life changed completely as soon as he had confessed his love to Hermione. With her at his side, he could bravely face the future and whatever it would bring. He was sure he would have difficulties to overcome, many political fights, and then – the normal family life that is never quite smooth.

He grabbed Hermione's hand and looked at the other three young women surrounding him. Yes, he could feel their love as he responded with love. They were his family now. He'd do anything for his family and he felt that he would always be able to count on the support and love from his family. It was the first time he consciously felt this way. He was sure it was not the last.

* * *

**A.N.**

Some readers comment unfavorably about Draco redeemed. In this story, at least, he changes his ways, distancing himself from his past errors and realigning himself with Harry. I consider it a very significant change. In canon, one can see some initial changes in Draco, starting sixth year. I only did the next step in this story.

Besides, as a Slytherin, he should know to leave behind ideas that prove detrimental and move to support ideas that would benefit him, whether they would help the rest of the magical society or not. Aligning himself with the man who conquered seems the right way, under these circumstances.


End file.
